At Puckapunyal Primary School, our English program is based on the latest research about how children learn. It combines proven teaching methods with engaging, age-appropriate activities. We use models such as Scarborough’s Reading Rope, The Big 6 of Reading (oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), and the AERO Writing Instruction Model to guide our teaching. These help us make sure students develop all the skills they need for reading and writing success.

Our English Blocks
English is taught every day in a two-hour block that blends reading, writing and speaking and listening. We don’t treat these as separate skills – instead, we integrate them so they build on and strengthen each other.

Foundation to Grade 2
In the early years, we focus on building strong foundations:

• Phonics – using the Australian Decodable Readers program, students learn the building blocks of words through a structured, step-by-step approach.
• Phonemic awareness – through the Heggerty program, students develop listening skills that help them hear and work with the sounds in words.
• Fluency – Students practise reading regularly to become fluent and expressive readers.
• Literature and language – we read and explore high-quality books that grow vocabulary, promote comprehension and support the development of our writing skills. 

Grades 3 to 6
As students move into the middle and upper years, we build on what they already know and keep challenging them to grow:

• Daily Review – we start each lesson by revisiting and practising past learning to strengthen memory and understanding.
• Spelling – students explore how words work through phonics, morphology (word parts), and etymology (word origins).
• Fluency – reading aloud is modelled, then students practise with support to build confidence.
• Mentor texts – we use rich literature to teach writing techniques, grammar and genre knowledge.
• Writing skills – guided by the AERO model, students learn both the authorial and secretarial writing skills associated with various genres.