Literacy at Gordon Primary School

The study of English is central to the learning and development of every student at Gordon Primary School. It supports students to become confident communicators, critical and creative thinkers, and active, informed members of their community. Strong literacy skills provide the foundation for success across all areas of learning and prepare students for future education, employment and lifelong learning.

At Gordon Primary School, literacy is taught through explicit, systematic and evidence-informed instruction in line with the ACT Education Directorate's Strong Foundations strategy. Our pedagogical approach is grounded in Explicit Direct Instruction, ensuring that all students receive clear teaching, guided practice and opportunities to apply and consolidate their learning.

Students participate in a dedicated daily literacy block where the essential components of reading and writing are explicitly taught. These include:

• Oral language
• Phonological awareness
• Phonics
• Vocabulary
• Reading fluency
• Reading comprehension
• Spelling
• Grammar and punctuation
• Handwriting
• Written expression

Our literacy program draws on high-quality, evidence-based practices to meet the diverse learning needs of all students. Teachers carefully scaffold learning using the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, moving students from explicit modelling and guided practice towards independent application of knowledge and skills.

To support the systematic development of literacy:

• Kindergarten to Year 2 students learn through Little Learners Love Literacy, providing structured, explicit instruction in phonics, decoding, encoding and early reading and writing.
• Years 3 to 6 students participate in Word Origins, our evidence-informed spelling program, which develops students' understanding of morphology, etymology and vocabulary to strengthen spelling, reading comprehension and written expression.

Learn More

Parents and carers who would like to learn more about the literacy programs used at Gordon Primary School can visit the following websites:

• Little Learners Love Literacy (Kindergarten – Year 2)
  Little Learners Love Literacy is an evidence-informed, structured literacy approach that explicitly teaches children to read, write and spell through a carefully sequenced program.
  Little Learners Love Literacy
• Word Origins (Years 3 – 6)
  Word Origins is an evidence-informed spelling and word study program that develops students' understanding of morphology, etymology, vocabulary and spelling, building on the strong foundations established through early phonics instruction.
  Word Origins – DSF Literacy and Clinical Services