English / Foundation / Language / Phonics and word knowledge

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand how to use knowledge of letters and sounds including onset and rime to spell words (ACELA1438)

Elaborations
  • recognising the most common sound made by each letter of the alphabet, including consonants and short vowel sounds, for example ‘p-op’
  • breaking words into onset and rime, noticing words that share the same pattern, for example ‘p-at’, ‘b-at’
  • breaking words into onset and rime to learn how to spell words that share the same pattern, for example ‘p-at’, ‘b-at’, ‘t-all’ and ‘f-all’
  • building word families using onset and rime, for example ‘h-ot’, ‘g-ot’, ‘n-ot’, ‘sh-ot’
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Spelling,  Syllables

Online

Daily review example

This slide pack provides a sample daily review lesson which is a key component of teaching phonics using a systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) model that follows evidence-based research. It can be adapted to follow any phonics progression or lesson.

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Fluency and progress monitoring

This self-paced learning module explains fluency at the letter-sound correspondence level, word, sentence and whole-text level, and explains how to use a progress monitoring tool. It contains a webinar, free downloadable resources and further professional reading. It is the fourth of seven professional learning modules ...

Assessment

Progress monitoring tool tracker Phases 1-5

This spreadsheet assists teachers to analyse the data collected in progress monitoring tools, to plan next steps for student learning. This file aligns with Phases 1–5 of the Literacy Hub phonics progression.

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Student learning support

This webpage provides information and resources to support teachers to target specific student learning needs and create an inclusive classroom. It discusses differentiation and inclusion.

Assessment

Progress monitoring tool template

This Word template assists teachers to create their own progress monitoring tools to align with a school's phonics progression.

Assessment

Progress monitoring tools Phases 6-10

These tools support teachers to monitor individual and whole-class student progress in Phases 6-10 of the Literacy hub phonics progression. Each phase has a student reference page and a teacher marking sheet, and instructional notes for the teacher are provided.

Assessment

Progress monitoring tool Tracker Phases 11-15

This spreadsheet assists teachers to analyse the data collected in progress monitoring tools, to plan next steps for student learning. This file aligns with Phases 11-15 of the Literacy Hub phonics progression.

Video

Demonstration of a daily review

This video provides a demonstration of a phonics daily review using explicit instruction principles. It is presented by literacy specialists Elaine Stanley and Rebecca McEwan.

Assessment

Progress monitoring tool Tracker Phases 21-24

This spreadsheet assists teachers to analyse the data collected in progress monitoring tools, to plan next steps for student learning. This file aligns with Phases 21-24 of the Literacy Hub phonics progression.

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Assessment and intervention for an SSP approach

This self-paced learning module outlines the specific areas of knowledge and skills that are assessed for a systematic synthetic phonics approach to teaching reading and spelling. It explains how this approach to assessment is helpful to identify student needs across the Response to Intervention framework. It contains a ...

Online

Spelling generalisations and SSP

This self-paced learning module outlines what makes English an opaque language and why it is valuable to teach students spelling generalisations. It explains how to support students to apply spelling generalsiations and how to incorporate them into your systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) lessons. The module contains two ...

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For school leaders: Understanding the evidence

This webpage provides information and resources for school leaders about the evidence and research on how students learn to read. It discusses cognitive load theory, explicit instruction, a whole-school curriculum approach, the Big Six of literacy and using a systematic synthetic phonics approach to instruction.

Assessment

Progress monitoring tool tracker Phases 6-10

This spreadsheet assists teachers to analyse the data collected in progress monitoring tools, to plan next steps for student learning. This file aligns with Phases 6-10 of the Literacy Hub phonics progression.

Assessment

Progress monitoring tools Phases 11-15

These tools support teachers to monitor individual and whole-class student progress in Phases 11-15 of the Literacy hub phonics progression. Each phase has a student reference page and a teacher marking sheet, and instructional notes for the teacher are provided.

Assessment

Progress monitoring tools Tracker Phases 16-20

This spreadsheet assists teachers to analyse the data collected in progress monitoring tools, to plan next steps for student learning. This file aligns with Phases 16-20 of the Literacy Hub phonics progression.

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Planning resources

This webpage provides information on how to scope specific literacy content, and to plan what to teach and how to teach it. It provides links to further information and quality resources to support teacher planning.

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For school leaders: Leading effective practice

This webpage provides information for school leaders on how to drive quality instruction and improve student literacy outcomes. It recommends a range of resources that can be used to support leaders in coaching and mentoring staff in best practice literacy instruction.

Online

Creating change as a literacy coach

This teacher resource describes how a literacy coach made a substantial difference to students' literacy achievements, teachers' involvement in literacy strategies and whole-school culture at Allendale East Area School in South Australia. Organised in nine sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Results; Lessons ...

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

Demonstration of a phonics lesson

This video provides a demonstration of a phonics lesson using explicit instruction principles. It is presented by literacy specialists Elaine Stanley and Rebecca McEwan.