At Courtenay Gardens Primary School, we are passionate about nurturing a love of reading and writing in every student, from Prep to Grade 6. Our literacy program follows a structured approach based on the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM 2.0), ensuring that all students receive the support they need to develop strong reading and writing skills. We focus on the key pillars of literacy, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and oral language. Our program also emphasises developing writing skills at both the sentence level (correct grammar and sentence structure) and the text/genre level (creating a variety of written forms like stories, reports, and more), all in line with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0.
In the Junior School, we use the Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) method, where students learn how letters and sounds are connected. This hands-on, step-by-step approach helps children master how individual sounds (phonemes) are represented by letters (graphemes) and how they blend together to form words. We also teach that reading and spelling go hand in hand – if you can read a word, you can spell it! Our Little Learners Love Literacy program supports phonics learning with fun, engaging resources, ensuring that students build a strong foundation in reading. We believe in the power of real-life experiences to inspire writing, which is why we expose students to quality literature and provide explicit writing instruction. Our teachers focus on helping students craft meaningful, engaging sentences and stories, while promoting oral language development throughout all literacy lessons. This ensures that our students can confidently express their thoughts and ideas, both in writing and through spoken language.
As students’ progress into the Middle and Senior Schools, they continue to engage with quality literature and novel study units, which deepen and refine their literacy skills. Active engagement strategies ensure students are fully immersed in their learning, sparking thoughtful discussions around text themes, messages, and purposes. Students enhance their oral language skills through group conversations and presentations, developing confidence in expressing their ideas. They also explore vocabulary, literary devices, and the structure of language, helping them apply these tools in their own writing. With explicit instruction in spelling and grammar, students gain the necessary skills to write with clarity and precision. Additionally, they discover how authors write with purpose and how inspiration shapes storytelling, leading to a greater appreciation for the art of writing.
Throughout all year levels, our instructional model is designed to keep students engaged and motivated, ensuring literacy skills are taught clearly and effectively, supporting each child’s unique learning journey at Courtenay Gardens Primary School.
