The Better Start to Literacy Approach has had fantastic results with a growing number of children in Aotearoa who are coming to school with less developed oral language. This year particularly I have had an intake of students with a noticeable difference in literacy skills and phonological awareness beginning school. It has been a real challenge to 'get them started' with the whole language approach that has worked quicker for me in the past. Also, we have been using a phonics programme across our junior school which has made me notice how students acquire letter sound knowledge.
In my guided reading time I have spent time blending a few letters that I feel certain the students already are sure of. e.g. p - a - t. It is amazing how the students who are really struggling to point to words as they read across the page are actually able to blend these sounds. I haven't as yet trialled the new decodable readers but I am keen to see how these will work.
The other difference to my teaching practice is that I am really trying to sound out words to students as they write. I might not expect them to write the vowel sounds yet but I am modelling how I say the sound and blending and segmenting it for them as they write and I support that writing.
