English
In English, students learn to read, write, speak, view and represent language. Quality literature underpins every component of our English programs from Kindergarten to Year 6. By using a wide range of spoken, visual, multimedia and digital texts, students learn to read for information and pleasure. Students gain a sound grasp of language structures, punctuation, spelling and grammar, and learn to think in ways that are imaginative, creative and critical.
At A Glance
Synthetic Phonics
Students in K-2 are undertaking the Get Reading Right program which looks at blending phonemes (sounds) to make a word, enabling children to read. Students learn to segment to spell words and have the opportunity to learn camera words which a frequently used words that are tricky to sound. To reinforce the learning that is happening in our classroom, the students also have access to Phonics Hero, an interactive games-based website.
Spelling Mastery
Students in Years 3 – 6 are developing their spelling skills through the Spelling Mastery Program. Spelling Mastery is a research proven that employs the Direct Instruction method to enable teachers to deliver highly interactive, structured lessons that help students learn dependable spelling skills. Spelling Mastery approaches spelling through strategies, patterns and rules. The straightforward lessons in Spelling Mastery combine phonemic, morphemic, and whole-word instruction to make spelling easier to learn and pave the way for effective writing.
Guided Reading
Guided Reading is a fundamental component of a well-balanced literacy program. Students with similar reading abilities or students who need to develop similar skills are grouped together. The groups are kept small to encourage interaction among the students and to allow the teacher, or teacher’s aide, to observe individual reading behaviour. Students are immersed in a variety of literary and factual texts targeted at their ability level and explicitly taught the skills required to become fluent readers who understand the content of what they have read.
Public Speaking
At Al Amanah College we teach children the skills and etiquette associated with public speaking. Public Speaking helps students develop confidence and build up their self-esteem.
Students from Year 3 to Year 6 are given the opportunity to select topics to research and present their findings in a speech. A variety of techniques are employed to assist the students to evaluate their efforts and to improve on their performance in a constructive way. Some techniques include peer, self and teacher assessment.
Students are then selected to represent the school at an inter-school competition between both Al Amanah Campuses and Salamah College.
The study of English at Al Amanah College empowers students to appreciate the power, value, and artistry of the English language for communication, learning, and enjoyment. Developing proficiency in English supports students to become confident communicators, imaginative and critical thinkers, and lifelong learners. Students refine their language skills through speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing, and representing. They engage with a diverse range of print, spoken, visual, media, multimedia, and digital texts to deepen their understanding of language and literature.
Direct Instruction English Program InitiaLitin K-2
The study of English at Al Amanah College empowers students to appreciate the power, value, and artistry of the English language for communication, learning, and enjoyment. Developing proficiency in English supports students to become confident communicators, imaginative and critical thinkers, and lifelong learners. Students refine their language skills through speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing, and representing. They engage with a diverse range of print, spoken, visual, media, multimedia, and digital texts to deepen their understanding of language and literature.
Key components of InitiaLit include
Phonics
Phonics to systematically and explicitly teach the basic and advanced alphabetic code in a set sequence. In addition to learning letter-sound correspondences and how these are applied to reading and spelling, children will be introduced to common morphemes and simple grammatical concepts.
Vocabulary, oral language and listening comprehension
Vocabulary, oral language and listening comprehension through quality children’s literature.
Spelling
Children will learn spelling rules and morphological concepts.
Reading comprehension and fluency
Children will be taught comprehension strategies explicitly and how to apply them to different types of text.
Grammar
Children will be explicitly taught key grammatical features and how to apply them to a writing task.
Explicitly Teaching English Units in 3-6
At Al Amanah College, the 3-6 English units incorporate explicit instruction and effective teaching practices based on evidence-based learning. Our units have a more explicit focus on writing in the curriculum to help learners think about the significance and implication of ideas.Students will learn skills to express their ideas clearly by writingtexts for a variety of contexts, purposes, and audiences. Students study a broad range of texts; imaginative, persuasive, and informativeand are taught to respond to and produce texts through structured units of study.
The 3-6 English Syllabus Focus Areas are
- Oral Language and Communication
- Vocabulary
- Reading Fluency
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding and Responding to Literature
- Creating Written Texts
- Spelling
- Handwriting and Digital Transcriptions
Spelling Mastery
Students in Years 3 – 6 are developing their spelling skills through the Spelling Mastery Program. Spelling Mastery is a research-proven method that employs the Direct Instruction method to enable teachers to deliver highly interactive, structured lessons that help students learn dependable spelling skills. Spelling Mastery approaches spelling through strategies, patterns, and rules. The straightforward lessons in Spelling Mastery combine phonemic, morphemic, and whole-word instruction to make spelling easier to learn and pave the way for effective writing.
Public Speaking
At Al Amanah College we teach children the skills and etiquette associated with public speaking. Public speaking helps students develop confidence and build up their self-expression skills and their self-esteem.Students in Years 3-6 are provided with the opportunity to select a topic of interest to research and present in aspeech. Teachers used criterion-based rubric to evaluate student work, providing clear expectations and consistent feedback. Finalists per grade represent the school at an inter-school competition between both Al Amanah Campuses (Bankstown and Liverpool) and Al Amanah College.