English T3 2020 SMB - Townsville Catholic Education

Contributor/s Learning Area/s

Krystal Land (Curriculum Advisor); Anna Bennett (Prep Teacher) English

School Name Unit Title Year Level Duration Of Unit

St Mary’s Catholic School, Bowen InitiaLit Program/Writing/Reading Prep 10 Weeks

(TCEO Learning Framework, 2015-2019)

UNIT Summary:
Refer to Initial Lit Scope and Sequence.
Term 3 Lessons- Lesson 76-99
Storybook Lessons- 16- 20

Students will emerge and consolidate their writing skills through engaging with beginning writing skills (capital letters, finger spaces, line writing, full stops,
question marks, etc.) and will work towards writing a sentence independently. Through the InitiaLit program, the students will progress their phonological
awareness as well as reading levels through explicit whole class and small group work.

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General Capabilities Cross-curriculum Priorities

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home

● Literacy ● Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

● Numeracy ● Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
● Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability ● Sustainability
● Critical and Creative Thinking
● Personal and Social Capability
● Ethical Understanding
● Intercultural Understanding

Relevant prior curriculum

Term 1
Refer to Initial Lit Scope and Sequence.
Term 1 Lessons- 1-39.
Story Book Lessons- 1-8

Term 2
Refer to Initial Lit Scope and Sequence.
Term 2 Lessons- Lesson 40-75.
Storybook Lessons-9-15.

Students had disruptions at the end of Term 1 and Term 2 due to the CO-VID pandemic and embraced online learning, which involved revising Term 1 content for the
first three weeks of Term 2.

Targeted Curriculum. Achievement Standards expected

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of the Foundation year, students use predicting and questioning strategies to make meaning from texts. They recall one or two events from
texts with familiar topics. They understand that there are different types of texts and that these can have similar characteristics. They identify connections

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between texts and their personal experience.

They read short, decodable and predictable texts with familiar vocabulary and supportive images, drawing on their developing knowledge of concepts of
print, sounds and letters and decoding and self-monitoring strategies. They recognise the letters of the English alphabet, in upper and lower case and
know and use the most common sounds represented by most letters. They read high-frequency words and blend sounds orally to read
consonant-vowel-consonant words. They use appropriate interaction skills to listen and respond to others in a familiar environment. They listen for rhyme,
letter patterns and sounds in words.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand that their texts can reflect their own experiences. They identify and describe likes and dislikes about familiar texts, objects,
characters and events.

In informal group and whole class settings, students communicate clearly. They retell events and experiences with peers and known adults. They identify
and use rhyme, and orally blend and segment sounds in words. When writing, students use familiar words and phrases and images to convey ideas.
Their writing shows evidence of letter and sound knowledge, beginning writing behaviours and experimentation with capital letters and full stops. They
correctly form known upper- and lower-case letters.

Strands and Content descriptions:

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home

Describe the assessment Assessment date Purpose and conditions Differentiated assessment

Formative: Post-Test: Week 3 Individual assessment with a Brain breaks can be offered but
● Early Years Post-Test. teacher: laptop and 40 not extra or alternative
● Progress Monitoring 5. questions. prompting.
● Progress Monitoring 6.
● Checklist during small group work.
● Sight/Tricky word testing weekly.
Small group work Focuses on individual goals Individual goals are highlighted.
checklist (weekly) for progression.

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Enlarged words and tricky word

Tricky Word Testing: One-on-one with a school tree available for support.
Every Friday officer. Work through
enlarged versions of the
words and checklist.

Summative: Week 10, Term 3 One-on-one with a school

● Cumulative Review 3 (Term 4 if necessary). officer/teacher
● PM Benchmark.
● Write a sentence about how to make your
Week 9, Term 3 One-on-one with a school
favourite food (independent learning.)
officer/teacher
Extra time to develop skill (Week
Writing assessment: 10); High 5 Sentences prompt;
Week 9/10 Highlighter pen to trace; sentence
starter.

Link to Guide to Making Judgement (GTMJ) Link to Assessment Task

Assessment Task Sheet and GTMJ Assessment Task Sheet and GTMJ

Learning experiences and teaching strategies Adjustments for needs of Resources

learners
1. Campfire - Focused Instruction - I do
2. Swamp - Guided Instruction - We do
3. Waterhole - Collaborative Learning - You to it together
4. Cave - Independent Learning - you do it alone

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5. Mixed zones.

Learning Cycle 1 - Week 1

Focus on the Learners: InitiaLit
Establish Learning Intentions and Success Criteria:
Learning Intention: Good readers use tricky words, high frequency words and sound knowledge to read familiar words.

Success Criteria:
● I can identify sounds in a word
● I can blend sounds to make familiar and unfamiliar words
● I can apply known tricky words and sound knowledge when reading.
● I can independently read a decodable book and reflect on what I have read

Select and Implement the best teaching strategies:

Revising Term 2 concepts: InitiaLit lessons 27, 39, 51, 63, 75.

Literacy rotation activities:

● Catch up on Workbook activities from Term 2
● iPads: Reading eggs
● Guided reading: review term 2 reading strategies (Eagle Eye/Lips the Fish) / Writing captions
● InitiaLit word building activity
● Sounds & Words book (page 21-22)
● Rhyme revision (Match the Rhyming Words card activity)

Focus on the Learners: Writing

Establish Learning Intentions and Success Criteria:
Learning Intention: Good writers use beginning writing behaviours (capital letters, full stops, finger spaces).

Success Criteria:
● I can identify a beginning writing behaviour in a given sentence
● I can describe what I need in my High 5 Sentence.
● I can use my letter-sound knowledge or tricky word tree to write a short sentence (3 words) using one or
more writing behaviours
● I can reflect and edit upon my written sentence

Select and Implement the best teaching strategies:

Students revise handwriting by catching up on handwriting book pages

Incorporate writing into literacy groups for mini lessons: focus on writing direction and writing along the appropriate

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lines.

Cumulative Review 2 to be undertaken one-on-one with a teacher/school officer.

Learning Cycle 1 - Week 2 Intervention programs:

InitiaLit Oral Language
Select and Implement the best teaching strategies: Support-A-Talker
Lessons: 76, 77, 78 (See Teacher Handbook 3) Early Years to inform which students
Storybook: Magic Beach by Alison Lester (See Storybook Handbook)

CRAFT: Writing

Lower: work explicitly with Miss Bennett

on formation, pencil grip and line work
(see list for specific children and letter
focus)
Upper: independent: those completed
work on writing the sentence “My dad
went to the shop and…”

Writing
Select and Implement the best teaching strategies:
● Handwriting booklet (update)
● Embed into literacy rotations: focusing on beginning writing conventions (capital letters)

Learning Cycle 1 - Week 3 Reading: Lower: Using cued articulation to

Select and Implement the best teaching strategies: prompt with character posters
Lessons: 79, 80, 81, Upper: Work toward fluency by having the
Storybook: Click, Clack, Moo - Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin students say the word without
Craft: segmenting (no stretchy snake).

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Learning Cycle 1 - Week 4

WINN Week

Lessons: 82, 83, 84

Storybook: Gorilla by Anthony Browne
Extra activities (complete in order):
Work on writing the letters to sounds: provide students with whiteboards and have them write the letter for the sound
you say.

Craft: Shell painting activity. Using a template, students will cut out a shell and use yellow paint/watercolour to paint
their shells and then sprinkle with glitter.

Check for understanding and use this evidence to respond accordingly:

During rotations, use a checklist to scope and observe student ability (check at least twice throughout the week for
reading and writing.

Evaluate the impact of your teaching on your students’ learning:

Compare student observations between first and second attempt for reading and writing to gain an insight into their
strengths and areas for development.

Learning Cycle 2 - Week 5 Reading:

Focus on the Learners: Writing Lower: Using cued articulation to prompt
Establish Learning Intentions and Success Criteria: with character posters
Learning Intention: Good writers independently write and edit a sentence. Upper: Work toward fluency by having the
students say the word without
Success Criteria: segmenting (no stretchy snake).
● I can identify sounds in words and write them.
● I can use my letter-sound and tricky word knowledge to write words. Lower: Using cued articulation to prompt
● I can construct my own sentence when writing with character posters
● I can edit my own sentence using the High 5 Sentences. Upper: Have students discern between
diagraph and grapheme versions of the
Select and Implement the best teaching strategies: same sound ‘s’ vs ‘ss’

Focus on the Learners: Reading/InitiaLit

Establish Learning Intentions and Success Criteria:
Learning Intention: Good readers use tricky words, high frequency words and sound knowledge to read familiar words.

Success Criteria:
● I can describe a reading strategy I could use.
● I can blend sounds to make familiar and unfamiliar words
● I can apply a familiar reading strategy when reading unfamiliar words.
● I can independently read a decodable book and reflect on what I have read

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Select and Implement the best teaching strategies:

Lessons: 85, 86, 87 (See Teacher Handbook)
Storybook: All Through the Year by Jane Godwin
CRAFT: Students will create their own queen with the letter Q and placing a crown on the Q

Learning Cycle 2 - Week 6

Select and Implement the best teaching strategies:
Lessons: 88, 89, 90 (See Teacher Handbook)
Storybook: Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles (See Storybook handbook)
Craft: Students draw their beehive, provided with a door, use the bubble wrap and fingers to create the hive and bees,
then paint the wings and eyes with black paint and cotton buds.

Learning Cycle 2 - Week 7

Select and Implement the best teaching strategies:
Lessons: 91, 92, 93 (See Teacher Handbook)

Chicken Craft: Students will create little chicks using cups, eyes, triangles and feathers

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Learning Cycle 2 - Week 8 Lower: work explicitly with Miss Bennett

Check for understanding and use this evidence to respond accordingly: on formation, pencil grip and line work
Writing: Students undergo a formative assessment: Students are to help the teacher edit a sentence as a class using (see list for specific children and letter
their High 5 Sentences. Students will then write a sentence in their English books. focus) Differentiated students are to be
assessed in Week 9/10 for extra time for
Sentence starter: On the weekend I will… learning development
Upper: independent, encourage the use of
After writing the sentence, students are to edit their sentence with a teacher and rewrite. Fast finishers: draw a picture ‘and’ and continue the sentence
matching their sentence.
Lower: work explicitly with Miss Bennett
Evaluate the impact of your teaching on your students’ learning: on formation, pencil grip and line work
Ensure students are using High 5 Sentences cards to edit. Ensure students are using their phonemic awareness to sound (see list for specific children and letter
out familiar and unfamiliar words. Experimenting with spelling. Strategies to evaluate impact: focus)
● Whole class editing of a sentence using paddlepop sticks Upper: Compound sentence and
● Marking of individual student work independent sounding out

InitiaLit
Lessons: 94, 95, 96 (See Teacher Handbook)
Storybook: My Dad by Anthony Browne (Father’s Day themed)

Week 9 - Assessment Lower: work explicitly with Miss Bennett Writing Template
on formation, pencil grip and line work
1. Writing Assessment (postponed to Week 10): (see list for specific children and letter
focus)
Students will be writing a sentence about how to cook their favourite food. Upper: Compound sentence and
independent sounding out
Students are to help the teacher edit a sentence as a class using their High 5 Sentences. Students will then write a
sentence on a template and draw a picture to match.
Sentence starter: My favourite (unknown word) food to cook is ... (ext.) I make it with ...
After writing the sentence, students are to edit their sentence with a teacher and rewrite.

2. Students will undergo Cumulative Review 3 for InitiaLit assessment to review all concepts and skills.
Students will undergo this assessment one-to-one with a teacher/school officer.
3. PM Benchmarking continued

InitiaLit
Lessons: 97, 98, 99 (See Teacher handbook)

Week 10 - Assessment

Writing Assessment

Students will undergo Cumulative Review 3 for InitiaLit assessment to review all concepts and skills. Students will

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undergo this assessment one-to-one with a teacher/school officer.

InitiaLit: Review Term 3 phonic sets and tricky words (up to set 9)

Ways to Assessment alone will not contribute significantly to improved learning. It is what teachers and students do with the assessment information that
monitor makes a difference.
learning and ● What worked well in the planning, teaching, learning and assessment to meet the needs of all learners?
The flexible learning groups evolved with the assessments and the observations as well as experimenting with rotations and InitiaLit resources to reflect the needs of
assessment the students during each week; whether it was tricky word or letter-sound focus.
● What worked well when using assessment to improve student learning?
The checklists were a fantastic and quick strategy to assess student understanding quickly as well as keep on track with learning goals for the individual needs of each
student.
● What worked well in creating opportunities for discussion about levels of achievement to develop shared understandings and ensure consistency of
judgment?
Reframing the assessment with Krystal was effective in gaining an idea of differentiation and consistency with the writing component of the unit. Also ensure that the
learning goals were understood and necessary skills were defined while content was secured. I would like to improve on communicating learning goals with the
students in a visual and student friendly way.
● What can be improved in the assessment and monitoring of learning?
More time allocated for the worksheet activities as well as incorporating the concept of body, hands and mind learning to embed concepts and understandings for
the students within both reading and writing. More time for tricky word assessment, this was pushed onto the back burner for several weeks and is a valuable
snapshot: possibly looking at alternative ways to quickly assess tricky word knowledge within the classroom.

Feedback to At the end of the unit, teachers reflect on and review learning opportunities to incorporate specific learning experiences and provide multiple
Students opportunities for students to experience, practise and improve.
● What strategies worked well to provide ongoing feedback (both written and informal) and encouragement to students on their strengths and areas for
improvement?
Writing in small groups allowed for immediate feedback and editing of student work. In particular towards the end when I could edit and encourage the students to
rewrite with more confidence.
● What strategies worked well for students to reflect on and discuss their own learning with teachers and peers?
When doing writing as a whole class, it was observed that the students would naturally provide feedback to each other, whether it was prompting beginning writing
behaviours to support letter-sound knowledge. This sort of discussion was encouraged and valuable.
Similar behaviours were observed during reading groups.

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Reflection on At the end of the unit, teachers identify what worked well. This is an opportunity to self-reflect and to improve student learning.
the unit plan ● What activities worked well and why?
The inclusion of the ‘Book Club’ session after parade on a Monday was an exciting addition for the children and added more ‘flavour’ to reading. This was the result
of our PLC research and focus.
● What was a challenge for students?
Building up the children’s fluency has been a challenge, more so, through building up their confidence when approaching learning. While it was a focus to include
more time for reading with a more knowledgeable other (teacher, school officer, parent, peer), I think to ensure those valuable reading times are effective, I would
like to do a quick lesson for parents/school officers on how to use the InitiaLit decodable readers.
● What could be done differently next year and how?
Through professional conversations with teachers at St Clare’s, I wonder if it would be possible to exclude PM Benchmarking from the Prep program as there appears
to be conflicts in regards to sight words and scheme vs series decodables. Could be worth investing in the home readers that are now on sale for home reading rather
than PM levels (discussion to be had with Krystal and Col). This would also save so much time on PM Benchmarking and ensuring they’re done correctly.
● Were there any student misconceptions that need, or needed, to be clarified?
In regards to content, /b/ and /d/ sounds were confusing for the children as well as ‘n’ and ‘h’ when it came to writing. In regards to strategies, I believe
● What else could be included?
Literacy rotations could be adapted to include more time on the workbooks and mini writing lessons. Also the inclusion of iPads needs to increase next year from the
get go (understandably technical issues got in the way) but technology literacy will be at the forefront to support learning.

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