Achievement Standards Met
Lesson 1 - Students communicate clearly in informal group and whole class settings
(presenting words & drawing). Students identify and use rhyme, and they write basic words to
reflect the learned content (writing ‘h’ words) (ACARA 2018).
Lesson 2 - Students communicate clearly in informal group and whole class settings
(presenting rhyming spiders & singing rhyme). They read high-frequency words and blend
sounds orally to read consonant-vowel-consonant words (matching CVC word to rhyming
word). They use appropriate interaction skills to listen and respond to others in a familiar
environment (listening to others present). Students identify and use rhyme, and they write
basic words to reflect the learned content (writing words on spider).
Lesson 3 - Students read short, decodable and predictable texts with familiar vocabulary and
supportive images (reading through reader’s theatre text). Students communicate clearly in
informal group and whole class settings.
Outcomes for Students
While I didn’t fill all gaps with these students, I made strong connections to the learning. The biggest outcome
from this unit was the fun that the students had, which was reflected in an increased engagement.
Both students became a lot more confident speaking in front of the class, and participated in our summative
play of The Gingerbread Man at the end of the unit, which we videoed and sent to the parents. This also
prepared them to talk at assembly in the following week.
Student A said that he found work ‘less boring’, and came to understand that although things can be hard,
doing these things is what helps him to learn more.
Student B still struggles with comprehension, and is undergoing specialist assessment, however this unit
developed her capacity to read, extend her vocabulary and gain confidence in rhyming.
Anecdotal notes and checklists helped me to make these observations of students. Brady & Kennedy 2012, p. 60
notes that these types of assessment are more beneficial for atypical rather than typical behaviour, which is what
was noted from each of these students.
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References
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2018, F-10 Curriculum: English, ACARA,
viewed 27 September 2018, <https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-
curriculum/english/?year=11574&strand=Language&strand=Literature&strand=Literacy&capability=ignore&capabili
ty=Literacy&capability=Numeracy&capability=Information+and+Communication+Technology+%28ICT%29+Capabi
lity&capability=Critical+and+Creative+Thinking&capability=Personal+and+Social+Capability&capability=Ethical+U
nderstanding&capability=Intercultural+Understanding&priority=ignore&priority=Aboriginal+and+Torres+Strait+Islan
der+Histories+and+Cultures&priority=Asia+and+Australia’s+Engagement+with+Asia&priority=Sustainability&elabo
rations=true&elaborations=false&scotterms=false&isFirstPageLoad=false>.
Blair, TR, Rupley, WH & Nichols, WD 2007, ‘The effective teacher of reading: considering the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of
instruction’, The Reading Teacher, vol. 60, no. 5, pp. 432-438.
Brady, L & Kennedy, K 2012, Assessment and reporting: celebrating student achievement, 4th edn, Pearson
Australia, Melbourne.
Derewianka, B & Jones, P 2012, Teaching language in context, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
Groundwater-Smith, S, Ewing, R & Le Cornu, R 2015, Teaching: challenges & dilemmas, 5th edn, Cengage
Learning, South Melbourne.
