English / Foundation / Literacy / Interpreting, analysing, evaluating

Curriculum content descriptions

Read decodable and predictable texts, practising phrasing and fluency, and monitor meaning using concepts about print and emerging contextual, semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge (ACELY1649)

Elaborations
  • navigating a text correctly, starting at the right place and reading in the right direction, returning to the next line as needed, matching one spoken word to one written word
  • reading aloud with attempts at fluency and intonation
  • attempting to work out unknown words by combining contextual, semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge
  • predicting what might happen on the basis of experience of this kind of text; at the sentence level predicting the meaning on the basis of syntax and word meaning
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Reading,  Phonics,  Word attack

Online

Language, learning and literacy in the early years

This teacher resource describes the Language, Learning and Literacy (L3) program implemented in New South Wales public schools to address early disparities in children's language, reading and writing. Organised in nine sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Results; Next steps; Lessons learned; Research base; ...

Interactive

Storyboard: Flutter-by friends!

Explore the title and picture on the cover of 'Flutter-by friends!' Then make a prediction about the storyline. Listen to the story and follow as each word is underlined. Find out if your prediction matches the storyline. Put the jumbled events of the story in the right order.

Online

Focused Improvement in Early Literacy Development (FIELD)

This teacher resource describes an evidence-based strategy in which eight disadvantaged metropolitan schools and 12 remote schools in Western Australia assessed the oral English language and emergent literacy development of their pre-primary (Foundation) students, and used that data to inform explicit teaching of English ...

Text

Free decodable texts

This document summarises some of the free online decodable texts for Australian classrooms available on third-party websites.

Video

How to choose a decodable text

This video provides an overview of how to choose a decodable text for your students' needs. It is presented by literacy specialists Elaine Stanley and Rebecca McEwan.

Video

Choosing and using decodable texts: Q&A

This video is of a Q&A session about choosing and using decodable texts in your classroom. It is presented by literacy specialists Rebecca McEwan and Elaine Stanley

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Storyline Online: Clark the shark by Bruce Hale

Clark is a shark with zing, bang, and boom. Clark zooms into school, crashes through the classroom, and is rowdy at recess. Clark loves life – but when his enthusiasm is too much for his friends, Clark’s teacher, Mrs. Inkydink, helps him figure out a way to tone it down. Clark the Shark celebrates boisterous enthusiasm ...

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Storyline Online: A tale of two beasts by Fiona Robertson

There are two sides to every story. In Part One, a little girl finds a strange beast in the woods and takes it home as a pet. She feeds it, shows it off to her friends and gives it a hat. But that night it escapes. Then, in Part Two, the beast tells the story of being kidnapped by the girl, who force-fed it squirrel food, ...

Interactive

Talking dino - app for iPad

This is an iPad app. Design a talking dinosaur to present at show and tell. Create your dinosaur by selecting from a range of elements such as mood, size and colour. Choose a voice and background picture for your dinosaur. Decide on a name that suits your talking dinosaur. Select a note about your dinosaur. Watch the animation. ...

Interactive

Garden detective: Australian garden

Search for small creatures in an Australian garden. Find animals such as a scorpion, a lacewing and a cicada. Have a close look at their body parts. Identify groups of creatures that have similar body features such as wings or number of legs. Return all the animals to their habitats. This content is also suitable for use ...

Interactive

Make it happen: find Honey

Honey is missing. Create a notice to let people know your dog is lost. Include a statement, photo and important details such as contact address and phone number. Select places to put up the notice. Consider the replies to your notice when deciding where to look for Honey. Look for Honey at the locations on the map. Check ...

Interactive

Words and pictures: final letters

Meet Di, an artist who paints phrases. Help Di paint three pictures by matching words that end with the same two letters. Choose two words that end with the same letter pattern such as lamb and comb. Select a third word to make a phrase, for example a lamb under a comb. Watch as Di paints a picture of the phrase.

Video

How to get better at writing in rhyme

What does author Tony Wilson suggest doing to improve your rhyming skills? Why do you think reading might help? Are you familiar with the books and authors Tony mentions? Dame Lynley Dodd is the author of the Hairy Maclary books and Julia Donaldson is another successful author who uses rhyming in her books. Look them up ...

Video

English Year F with Leanne: Decoding unfamiliar words using onset and rime

In this lesson, you will learn how to decode unfamiliar words by breaking them up into onset (the starting sound) and rime (the ending of words). Leanne demonstrates how to build and read new words by changing the onset. She provides opportunities for you to have a go at home.

Video

Listening for rhythm with author Tony Wilson

Tony Wilson says that listening to rhyming books is like listening to music. How are they similar? Read a rhyming book out loud or ask someone to read one to you, and see if you can hear the rhythm. Can you clap along to it? Think about rhythm when you write your next story. Can you write something that has a beat?

Video

Changing ideas and discovering themes in stories

Have you ever started out with an idea for a story and later realised you wanted to change it? You're not the only one! In fact, changing your mind is all part of the process of writing. Listen as author Tony Wilson explains how the idea for his book 'The Cow Tripped over the Moon' changed over time. What was his initial ...

Interactive

Little Stars - Word Wizard - iTunes app

Learn and practise spelling and word recognition, on your own or with a partner, in this space-themed game. Answer questions to move your rocket ship and earn stickers on the way. Includes over 150 CVC words. Free when reviewed 6/6/15.

Video

Why is it useful to have a big bad wolf character in stories?

Watch this clip to hear Andy Griffiths explain why it's good to have villains in stories. How can the "big bad wolf" character help to move the story along? Think about some of the stories you've read lately. Which characters were the "big bad wolf" characters and what did they add to the stories? 

Interactive

Phonics Fun 4 - iTunes app

Learn letter sounds and rime as you tap pictures and hear letter sounds. Match the letters and sounds to the pictures. Covers 9 letter sounds (a, e, i, o, u, qu, sh, z, v), 5 rimes (ip, ot, x, at, un) in 75 words. Free when reviewed 6/6/15.

Video

Storyline Online: Sophie's masterpiece by Eileen Spinelli

Sophie's no ordinary house spider. She's an artist; and every web she spins is more wondrous than the one before. But don't mention that to the guests at Beekman's Boardinghouse, because they don't like spiders. This series of videos features illustrated stories read aloud by well-known US based actors supported by the ...