Teaching Literacy at Middle Park State School
At Middle Park State School, we believe every child can become a confident, fluent reader and writer. Reading is the foundation for success in all learning areas, and we are committed to providing every student with high-quality literacy instruction.
Our school uses a Structured Literacy approach, which is based on current research and the Science of Reading. This means that the way we teach reading and writing is guided by what we know from evidence about how the brain learns to read.
How We Teach Reading
Learning to read involves two key areas:
- Word Reading – learning to recognise and decode written words
- Language Comprehension – understanding the meaning of words, sentences and texts.
Our teachers explicitly teach these vital components in a logical sequence, ensuring that each new skill builds on what students have already learned.
What Literacy Lessons Look Like
Literacy lessons at Middle Park are explicit, fast-paced and engaging. Students are active participants in their learning, responding in different ways – by speaking, writing or taking action.
Teachers use explicit instruction, which means complex skills are broken down into small, achievable steps that are clearly modelled and practised. This approach helps every student experience success.
Even when teaching the whole class, teachers differentiate by adjusting the level of support or the focus of the content to meet students' varying needs. Throughout lessons, teachers check for understanding, give immediate feedback, and adjust their teaching as needed.
Meeting Every Student's Needs
Our literacy instruction combines whole-class teaching, small group work and individual support. This ensures all students – whether they need extra help or additional challenge – receive the right level of instruction.
We use a tiered approach to support student learning:
- Tier 1 – High-quality, evidence-based classroom instruction for all students
- Tier 2 – Targeted support for students who need additional help
- Tier 3 – Intensive, individualised intervention for students who need more specialised support.
Our approach is both preventative and responsive, meaning we aim to give students the strong foundation they need early, and respond quickly if they require extra support. Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring help us ensure that every student receives the instruction they need to succeed.