Literacy

Literacy

Literacy P – 2

At OLGC we believe that every child can become a confident reader and writer when provided with strong foundations in literacy. That is why we use a Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) program, taught through daily explicit instruction, supported by decodable texts, and enriched with multisensory approaches.
We believe that:

Explicit and systematic phonics builds the foundations for accurate reading, spelling, and writing, and research shows this significantly improves literacy outcomes (Ehri, 2022; Johnston & Watson, 2005).

Decodable texts provide meaningful practice that strengthens fluency and confidence, while supporting spelling memory and comprehension (Castles, Rastle, & Nation, 2018).

Daily review ensures learning is remembered and applied over time, moving knowledge into long-term memory and supporting automaticity (Johnston & Watson, 2005).

A multisensory approach engages all learners and is particularly effective in supporting students with diverse literacy needs (Ehri, 2022).

Through this approach, we ensure that reading, spelling, and writing develop together, giving our students the skills they need to thrive as lifelong learners.

Literacy 3-6

At OLGC we believe that teaching literacy through shared novel studies allows students to develop reading, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and writing in meaningful and connected ways.

We believe that daily review is essential for strengthening memory and consolidating learning, as research shows that consistent retrieval improves retention and literacy outcomes (Graham & Hebert, 2011). Novel studies also provide rich opportunities for vocabulary and spelling development, with explicit teaching of high-utility words, prefixes, and suffixes shown to support accuracy and word knowledge (Hebert, Bohaty, Nelson, & Brown, 2018).

Grammar and sentence-level writing are taught in context, drawing on mentor sentences and sentence-combining activities, approaches proven to enhance fluency and control (Myhill, Jones, Lines, & Watson, 2013; Saddler & Graham, 2005). At the text level, students write frequently about what they read, using clear structures to plan, draft, and revise. Writing to learn in this way strengthens comprehension as well as expression (Graham & Hebert, 2011).

Through novel studies, students experience literacy as an integrated practice, developing the knowledge and skills to become confident, capable communicators.