Purpose:

 

To develop, implement and evaluate a program, and individual Action plans, that maximise the literacy achievements of students identified as ‘at risk’ in the early years of schooling.

 

Guidelines

 

·         To ensure that all children will be given the maximum opportunity to be able to read and write at a fluent level by the end of Grade 2

·         To provide a set of assessment procedure to develop a literacy profile of child’s strengths and needs To improve the overall literacy performance of all students through intensive targeted programs

·         To provide a series of daily focused literacy session for students identified with special needs

·         To develop a strategically planned home-school liaison/support group

·         To ensure a whole school commitment to the program

·         To ensure provision of full implementation of the Reading Recovery program

 

An Early Literacy Coordinator will be appointed each year to:

·         Ensure regular, time-tabled EYL (P-2) staff meetings to discuss program (and other issues)

·         Support teachers and to facilitate the implementation

·         Ensure that classroom organisation is such the children need additional assistance should work in as small a teaching group as possible in guided reading sessions

·         Coordinate Individual Learning Plans and track the progress of all students who require additional assistance

·         Coordinate home school support group meetings

·         Ensure the regular, ongoing assessment program is implemented

·         Ensure appropriate staff and parent professional development is available

·         Ensure that the required student records are kept, filed and passed on

·         Provide current, relevant and practical reading material for all those involved in the program

 

An Early Literacy Support Teacher will be appointed to administer the program and closely liaise with the classroom teacher to determine the individual needs of its students.

 

Membership of the home-school support group will comprise:

·         Early Literacy Coordinator

·         Class teacher

·         Parent/s

·         Early Literacy Support Teacher

·         Other interested or required support staff

 

An initial home-school support group meeting will be arranged at the beginning of the year to:

·         Outline the program aims and individual plans for the students involved

·         Establish commitment to the shared responsibility

·         Establish dates for future meetings to assess progress

·         Set goals and individual action plans to be achieved in ensuring weeks

 

A student individual literacy action plan will include:

·         Realistic and achievable long term goals

·         Achievable short term goals

·         Learning outcomes/indicators related to short term goals and relevant to the development stages/phases of eg. First Steps and the CSF

·         Suggested resources and teaching and materials required to implement the literacy plan

·         Implementation strategies

·         Person responsible

A specific document will be provided to outline the above.

 

·         Initial testing and ongoing, regular assessment and monitoring will occur to determine whether adequate progress is being made

·         Work samples and anecdotal notes will be kept in individual portfolios for each student.  This will be the responsibility of the classroom teacher, in liaison with the support teacher and Early Literacy Coordinator

·         A weekly program will be kept outlining activities that support and enrich the individual goals and action plans for each student.  A parent-teacher communication book will be encouraged

·         Where it is deemed necessary, Support Personnel will be enlisted, such as Speech Pathologist and Guidance Officers

·         Where it is deemed necessary, some time table chances may be arranged to give individual students some extra assistance

·         The Parent Partnership in the child’s success and progress will be encouraged wholeheartedly

·         Literacy awareness sessions will be arranged to train and assist parents in the best methods to support their child’s learning

·         A balanced classroom literacy program will continue to address, match and support the child’s learning needs and individual goals

·         The budget will be submitted at the end of each year relevant to DEET funding and the needs seen

 

Recommendations:

 

·         That there be a separate EYL budget with Reading Recovery being a component of it (Reading Recovery is considered to be an integral part of EYL)

·         That Reading Recovery students be withdrawn during the 2 hour literacy block for some of their 1:1 lessons so that they will not be regularly missing either maths or other areas of the curriculum.  (EYL recommends no withdrawal during 2 hour literacy block)

·         Students on Reading Recovery program should not be withdrawn for other literacy intervention programs for the duration of their Reading Recovery program

·         ESL – these children usually benefit by attending the ESL program first so that oral language can be developed.  After they complete the ESL course they then can be reconsidered for the Reading Recovery program depending on their needs at that time.

 

 

Evaluation:

 

The success of the program will be evaluated at the end of each year and adjustments made according to the needs of students and resources available