English / Year 2 / Language / Phonics and word knowledge

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand that a sound can be represented by various letter combinations (ACELA1825)

Elaborations
  • recognising sounds that can be produced by different letters, for example the long ‘a’ sound in ‘wait’, ‘stay’, ‘able’ and ‘make’
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Speech sounds

Downloadable

Word and code complexity continuum

This diagram shows the gradual progression of skills that students need to develop so they can read and spell words with increasing complexity.

Online

Web-based literacy intervention for struggling readers

This teacher resource describes the Academy of READING online strategy implemented at Palmyra Primary School in Western Australia to help years 2 and 3 students who were making little progress in reading. The resource is organised in eight sections: Summary, Target student group, Method, Results, Lessons learned, Research ...

Online

TrackSAFE Education Primary School Resources: Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 English

This unit of work focuses on developing student understanding of the importance of being track safe and the key message 'Stop, Look, Listen, Think'. It builds students' familiarity with the vocabulary and key concepts related to rail safety and provides differentiated activities for writers at different stages of development ...

Video

The Big Six: a whirlwind tour

This one-hour webinar recording provides an overview of the Big Six components of literacy (oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). It includes theoretical understandings and practical ideas for the classroom. It is the first in a series of eight webinars about the Big Six ...

Interactive

Syllabus bites: types of sentences

A web page resource with information, teacher guides and activities on types of sentences to support the Australian Curriculum in English K–10. It has detailed activities, links to resources and quizzes.

Text

Spelling generalisations

This document outlines spelling generalisations included in the Literacy Hub phonics progression and explains teaching points relating to each one that may be used to support instruction in your systematic, synthetic phonics aligned classroom.

Online

Smarter Schools approach to teaching beginning reading and spelling

This is a teacher resource about the Smarter Schools strategy successful implemented by 30 Catholic and independent schools in Tasmania to improve the progress of students in reading and spelling. The strategy uses mainly an oral language approach to teaching phonics and phonemic awareness in an integrated and systematic ...

Video

Radio National: The 'H' wars

How do you pronounce the letter ‘h'? Why do you think there is more than one way to pronounce this letter? Watch this video to find out why some people may pronounce the letter ‘h' as 'aitch' as opposed to 'haitch'. If you'd like to learn more on this topic, visit this site.

Video

Q&A session: Making a start with a phonics progression and phonological awareness instruction

This recording of a 30-minute Q&A session supports schools in choosing and following a systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) progression, including phonological and phonemic awareness instruction.

Online

Principals as Literacy Leaders Project

This teacher resource describes the Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALL) professional learning strategy aimed at strengthening the capability of school principals to bring about improvement in the reading abilities of students in low socioeconomic status and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The resource ...

Video

Phonological and phonemic awareness overview.

Literacy specialist Rebecca McEwan presents this webinar extract about phonological and phonemic awareness, and why it play an important role in phonics lessons.

Downloadable

Phonological and phonemic awareness lesson activities

This slide pack is a practical resource for use in the classroom and includes teacher scripts and visual slides to support phonological and phonemic awareness instruction. It is ideal to use as part of your phonics instruction using a systematic synthetic phonics approach.

Video

Phonological and phonemic awareness lesson activities

Literacy specialist Rebecca McEwan presents this webinar extract about how to include phonological and phonemic awareness activities in your whole-class or small-group phonics lessons.

Video

Phonics progressions and phonemic awareness: coaching webinar questions

Literacy specialists Rebecca McEwan and Elaine Stanley present this question and answer session about using a phonics progression and developing phonemic awareness.

Video

Phonics progressions and phonemic awareness: Q&A webinar questions.

This extract of a Q&A webinar answers questions from teachers and school leaders about using a phonics progression and developing phonemic awareness.

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Phonics progression

This evidence-aligned phonics progression includes a sequence of letter-sound correspondences and phonics skills for development across Foundation to year 2.

Downloadable

Phonics pair-game template

The pair games and activities in this document can be used as part of your systematic synthetic phonics program to encourage students to develop their phonics skills with peers during independent practice.

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Phonics lesson planner example and template

This Word document can be used to plan for the specific words and sentences teachers will use when teaching new phonics content. It includes a worked example of a completed lesson and a blank template.

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Phonics instructional model for reading and spelling

This documents includes information about a phonics instructional model for reading and spelling, it outlines the attributes of instruction, provides a lesson and review model, and a sample systematic synthetic phonics lesson that includes examples of skill application tasks.

Downloadable

Phonemic awareness overview

This document outlines the continuum of phonological and phonemic awareness skills and provides evidence and advice on effective phonemic awareness instruction. It is essential information for teachers implementing phonics instruction using a systematic synthetic phonics approach.