English at St. Mary’s
To live with purpose and participate fully
At St. Mary’s we believe that every learner flourishes through the explicit and effective teaching of literacy skills. Our English program aims to develop a love of life long reading and essential literacy skills and strategies to actively engage in an ever changing world.
We provide many opportunities for our students to interact orally, to read and write every day within a framework which involves whole group, small group and individual instruction. Students at St Mary’s are encouraged to problem solve, self regulate and monitor their own learning in a collaborative setting.
Our students for whom English is an additional language are supported through the use of the EAL Developmental Continuum which assists teachers to identify students’ current stage of English language development. This assessment can be used for reporting purposes and to plan for purposeful teaching for individuals and small groups of students with similar needs.
We believe our effective English Program: