THE GRATTAN REPORT ON READING FEB 24
It’s hard to disagree with these headlines after reading the Grattan Report:
The Reading Guarantee: How to give every child the best chance of success, linked here.
According to the report, becoming a proficient English reader is a complex task, where the goal is to extract meaning from text. The recommendations include:
Teaching the components of reading
* Oral Language
* Phonemic awareness
* Phonics
* Fluency
* Vocabulary
* Comprehension
Providing explicit and systematic classroom instruction
Implementing careful sequencing of learning across year levels and subjects
At Claremont College, our reading programs incorporate all of these components of reading and are a strength in terms of student outcomes. Our staff is committed to ongoing improvement in pedagogy, using research-informed practices to enhance student learning.
One of the aims recommended from the Grattan report on reading is:
“…to commit to a long-term goal of at least 90 per cent of students reaching proficiency in reading, as measured by the proportion of students in the ‘strong’ or ‘exceeding’ categories in NAPLAN, across Years 3, 5, 7, and 9” (p. 4).
The report recommends that schools…
“…commit to a 10-year target of increasing by 15 percentage points the proportion of students across Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 who reach proficiency, based on 2023 state-level NAPLAN data. Averaged across all states, this will require an uplift from 68 percent in 2023 to 83 percent in 2033 (p. 4).”
At Claremont College, our 2023 NAPLAN data for reading exceeded this 10-year target.
It is safe to say that reading is a strength at Claremont College due to the programs we use to differentiate teaching and learning to meet the needs of diverse learners, including those who benefit from additional support, those in core learning groups, and those who require enrichment and acceleration. We are grateful for our incredible Classroom Teachers, Learning Enrichment Teachers, and Teaching and Learning Assistants who are committed to ongoing improvement in pedagogy (the methods and practices of teachers), which subsequently has positive impacts on student learning.
Janelle Ford
Deputy Principal – Academic Excellence, Innovation & Pedagogy
