At Meadow Springs PS, we have three whole-school approaches that promote student progress and development in literacy:

Big Write & VCOP was introduced in 2015 and our teachers are regularly up-skilled to ensure the best quality teaching and learning programs are being delivered to our students in Speaking & Listening and Writing. The Big Write & VCOP approach allows students ample opportunities to discuss their ideas and opinions on the writing topic, prior to writing about the topic during the Big Write. The VCOP process guides students through analysing and self-assessing the quality of the Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers and Punctuation in their writing. Students then set personal goals for improvement, and they work hard to achieve them!

SharpReading has been operating in our school for four years, and provides a consistent approach to guided reading across the school. With SharpReading, students are actively involved in making meaning as they read a text, therefore improving their reading comprehension skills. Strategies used in SharpReading, such as the “I think that means…” statement, can also be applied in other learning areas where students are required to demonstrate their understanding. SharpReading is inclusive of all levels of ability.

Student-centred Spelling is having a renewed focus at MSPS this year. It is a First Stepsapproach where spelling instruction is connected to writing and it is differentiated to suit all learning needs and styles. Students are taught the Six Characteristics of Effective Spellers and Eight Spelling Strategies. In the editing process, students identify misspelled words in their writing and include them in their weekly spelling lists (personal lists). Teachers facilitate exciting ‘spelling investigations’ where students detect patterns in words and formulate spelling rules. Students participate in fun and engaging hands-on activities to explore new words and expand their vocabulary.