At Boroondara Park P.S. we provide contemporary learning experiences, delivering a broad, challenging and inclusive curriculum for 21st Century learning. Our teaching and learning program is based upon the Victorian Curriculum Foundation-10.
Literacy at BPPS
At Boroondara P. S., we deliver a balanced approach to Literacy through incorporating all modes; Reading, Writing, Oral Language and Visual Literacy. The successful implementation of the English curriculum is well supported through the teaching and learning of our Integrated Inquiry units of work. At the heart of our Literacy program is the use of good quality literature and authentic experiences. Please click on below links to find out more about how we teach reading, writing and speaking and listening at BPPS.
Reading at BPPS
https://www.bpark.vic.edu.au/uploaded_files/media/reading_at_bpps_including_accountable_sustained_independent_reading.docx
Writing at BPPS
https://www.bpark.vic.edu.au/uploaded_files/media/writing_at_bpps_for_website.docx
Spelling at BPPS
Recently, Boroondara Park Primary School has implemented a whole-school approach to the teaching of spelling, called SMART Spelling. SMART Spelling is an evidence-based program well-established in many schools in Australia, developed by Michelle Hutchison as a sensible way to teach spelling. It comprises a clear Foundation – 6 scope and sequence that gives students the opportunity to explore the whole word: how it looks, how it sounds, what it means and what you can do to change the word. In a typical weekly sequence, teachers start by teaching the meaning of words to expand vocabulary and then break words into syllables, sounds and letter patterns (graphs, digraphs and trigraphs) following a simple routine that is in the SMART Spelling course.
Say the word
Meaning: put it in context and discuss variations
Analyse it in terms of syllables, sounds and letters
Remember it by focusing on the parts of the word we need to remember, and then
Teach it by spelling the word aloud using letter names and clustering.
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In a SMART Spelling classroom, students are explicitly taught spelling patterns, one at a time. Teachers choose a range of words (from simple to complex) from a suggested list in the manual. Students are then guided to choose from that list, to meet different needs. Personal words are also a focus in SMART Spelling. Teachers use the strong professional knowledge they gain through training in the course to give meaningful feedback to students about their spelling in writing, teaching at the point of need. Students are also given them a variety of tasks to do to help them learn the words and the patterns of spelling, and are regularly tested in order to track their progress.
Further information can be found on the following website: Smart Spelling
Numeracy at BPPS
Numeracy learning occurs within the framework of a whole school inquiry approach. Our Numeracy program is structured around real life contexts, which are relevant to the children and thus engaging and meaningful. Maths tasks are open-ended and differentiated so that all children are catered for and experience success. Investigative problem solving activities and rich assessment tasks are planned together by teams of teachers at each learning level.
Numeracy at BPPS - https://www.bpark.vic.edu.au/uploaded_files/media/1666824308numeracy_at_bpps.pdf
Integrated Studies at BPPS
Using an inquiry approach, our teaching teams deliver an Integrated Curriculum that provides opportunities for our children to:
Our inquiry approach is based on the following concepts:
