This week our Prep parents attended our annual Prep Reading education evening where they were given practical evidence-based advice about helping their children learn how to read in partnership with our teachers. Prep teachers Rebecca Rudstein and Bec Fiala explained how they use phonics to teach students how to read, including phenological awareness so students learn to hear each letter in a word, learn how to combine letter sounds to decode words, and daily retrieval and practice to reach fluency.

The teachers explained that the take-home readers are designed to reinforce what students have been taught so that students enjoy being successful at reading and keep stretching themselves. Practical tips included ensuring the child uses their finger to guide them as they sound out letters, focusing the child on the page, and not jumping in to say the word if the student is struggling – let them attempt it multiple times before helping. As well as reading with their children, parents were encouraged to model their own joy of reading, helping their children to see how fun reading can be.