Overview of phonological and graphological processing skills K–6 The following overview indicates the stage at which key phonological, graphological, graphophonic, spelling, handwriting and digital text production skills should be introduced. Skills addressed in earlier stages should be reviewed and consolidated according to student needs and syllabus requirements. Sound (phonological) awareness Sound awareness is the understanding that spoken words are made up of separate sounds and that these sounds can be pulled apart and put back together again or manipulated to make new words. Early Stage 1 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Aural discrimination of Knowledge of syllables and No new skills No new skills syllables and sounds (ENe-4) sounds (EN1-1A, EN1-6B) introduced at this introduced at this • recognise that spoken words • join in rhymes, poems, chants stage. Continue to stage. Continue to are made up of sounds and songs revise and revise and consolidate ES1 consolidate ES1, • segment simple words into • identify and experiment with and S1 skills as S1 and S2 skills separate sounds (phonemes) sound patterns necessary as necessary • segment spoken multisyllabic • replicate and invent sound words into syllables patterns, including alliteration (eg ba-na-na), using clapping and rhyme or drum-beats One-syllable words (EN1-5A) Rhymes, poems, chants, songs • know that regular one-syllable (ENe-1A, ENe-4A) words are made up of letters • join in rhymes, poems, chants and common letter clusters and songs, replicating word that correspond to the sounds patterns heard • recognise rhymes • in early phases of Stage 1, segment spoken cv (b-e), • provide a rhyming word vc (o-n) and cvc (l-o-t, p-a-ck, Initial sounds (ENe-4a) sh-o-p) words into separate • say the first and end sound in a sounds word • in early phases of Stage 1, • recognise words that begin blend single sounds to form with the same sound (eg pat, a spoken word (cv, vc and pin) or a given sound (eg clap cvc words) when you hear a word • in early phases of Stage 1, beginning with ‘m’) delete onset from a spoken Blending sounds (ENe-4A) word to utter the rime separately, or to make a blend two or three sounds to • new spoken word (eg say make a word ‘sheet’ without the ‘sh’) • identify the new word when • in later phases of Stage 1, a phoneme is deleted/added segment consonant blends • vocally ‘stretch’ a word (cc, eg s-p-ot, and ccc, (eg m-a-n, b-ea-ch, t-r-ee, eg s-p-l-it) to show awareness sh-o-p), using a hand gesture of identity of separate to support the stretching phonemes (tr-, dr-, -mp, -nt, concept, to highlight the first, -nd, and -nk may need extra middle and last sounds explanation, with attention to how they are formed in the Words (ENe-4A) mouth) • recognise that texts are made up of words and groups of • in later phases of Stage 1, words that make meaning blend single sounds to form a spoken word (ccvc, eg slip, • segment oral sentences into clock, sneeze; cvcc, eg desk, individual words (using words lunch; cccvc, eg street; ccvcc, of one syllable at first) eg crust)

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Visual (graphological) processing Visual processing includes automatic recognition of whole words and the combining of letter sequences according to phonemic awareness and knowledge of letter–sound relationships. Early Stage 1 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Features of print (ENe-4A) Sight words (EN1-4A) Sight words (EN2-4A) No new skills • follow text directionality from left • recognise an • recognise high- introduced at this to right, including knowledge that increasing number of frequency sight words stage. Continue to letters are written from left to high-frequency sight revise and • build fluency and consolidate ES1, right to form individual words words (sight words automaticity in recall may have to be S1 and S2 skills as • follow text from the end of one of an expanding necessary line (right) to the beginning of the practised to support number of words in next line (left) automatic recall) literary and factual demonstrate an early texts • recognise that words are units of • ability to see small print with a space on either side • find known letter words within bigger clusters (eg solution), Meaning (ENe-2A, ENe-4A) words (eg within syllables (eg • recognise that words carry compound words un/co/ver) and messages and have constant such as ‘cowboy’) smaller words in big meanings • read environmental words (eg knowledge) • know that spoken sounds and print (automatic processing of letter clusters words can be written down using Syllabification and assists in word letters of the alphabet segmenting (EN1-4A) recognition) • know that written words refer to • segment written spoken words words into syllables • recognise that words can be • segment written read aloud words into onset Sight words (ENe-4A) and rime (eg slip: sl and ip) • automatically recognise some whole common words by sight, eg student’s name, high- frequency words from texts Alphabetic principle (ENe-4A) • know the names of the letters of the alphabet • say the most common sounds for all the lower case letters (to avoid confusion, letters that look alike and sound alike should not be introduced together, eg ‘b’ and ‘d’, ‘a’ and ‘u’) • recognise that the same letter may be printed in upper and lower case • discriminate between letters through matching activities • develop an awareness that the direction of a letter (eg b/d), and whether it goes above or below the line (eg b/p), makes a difference when identifying a letter • identify most of the sounds and name all letters in a given word

2 Letter–sound (graphological) awareness Awareness of letter–sound relationships involves knowledge of the printed form of letters, use of the alphabetic principle (systematic relationships between letters and sounds), the ability to make generalisations about letter–sound relationships, understanding of the difference between letter names and sounds, recognition that graphemes usually represent multiple sounds, and skill in blending sounds for known letters to form words. Early Stage 1 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Sound–letter Sound–letter matches (EN1-4A) Reading strategies No new skills relationships and • understand the difference between (EN2-4A) introduced at this blends (ENe-4A) letter names and letter sounds • use phonological stage. Continue • blend up to three knowledge when to revise and • understand that letter names consolidate ES1, sounds, eg to form remain constant but the sounds reading, eg vc (eg at) and cvc S1 and S2 skills they represent may vary – give the most common as necessary (eg sit) spoken and sounds for all vowel • know the names and most written words digraphs (eg cloud) common sounds for all single and trigraphs (eg high) • use knowledge of letters letters and sounds – decode more unusual blend sounds in written vc, cv, (including in initial, • letter patterns as cvc words to work out unknown medial and final chunks (eg ‘ough’, words positions) to decode ‘scious’) words • recognise common consonant – be aware of more • identify new words digraphs (eg sh, ch, th, wh, ph) advanced letter–sound using known • recognise common vowel correspondence rules letter–sound digraphs (eg ea, ay, ar, er, or) (eg soft c and g before relationships, e (eg cent, gent), i • recognise consonant blends eg using initial letter (eg city, giant) or y (eg spl, str) to guess the word (eg cygnet, gym) • recognise long vowel sounds identify syllables in (silent ‘e’) • multisyllabic words • recognise silent letters and read unknown words in less common sound–letter • syllable chunks, rather combinations than as separate sounds • identify the sounds of known read multisyllabic words letter clusters, syllables or • with known prefixes rimes in unknown words and suffixes (eg un-, Prefixes and suffixes (EN1-5A) non-, -tion, -ness, -able) • recognise common prefixes • recognise contractions and suffixes (eg shouldn’t) • recognise how common prefixes • use knowledge of and suffixes change a word’s word families and meaning homophones when • recognise that common suffixes in reading words can have different sounds (eg talked, wanted, rubbed) Word families and origins (EN1-4A) • build word families using words with known rimes (eg using knowledge of ‘day’ to spell ‘bay’ and ‘ray’) • identify word origins to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words, eg using base words

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Spelling Learning to spell is closely linked to learning to read and write. Learning about spelling reinforces knowledge about common letter sequences and about spelling–sound (graphophonic) relationships. Early Stage 1 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Phonetic spelling One-syllable words Segmenting to spell Integrated strategy use (ENe-5A) (EN1-5A) (EN2-5A) (EN3-5B) • understand that initial • write cv, vc and cvc • use knowledge of • use a variety of approximations can words that contain morphemic word spelling strategies and lead to correct formal known letter–sound families when spelling conventions to spell spelling relationships unknown words, multisyllabic words eg prefixes, suffixes, • spell unknown words • use knowledge of • use known word phonetically (as they letter–sound compound words meanings and base sound), with most of relationships to spell Sound–letter words when spelling the letters in the correct regular one-syllable relationships (EN2-5A) unknown words, sequence words • spell words using eg heal, healthy; sign, signature Segmenting to spell Sound–letter knowledge of letter (ENe-5A) relationships (EN1-5A) combinations, including • use knowledge of double letters • use onset and rime • isolate and write the suffixes and prefixes to spell words initial, medial and final • classify words into to spell new words sound of a word groups according to the • vocalise or subvocalise • develop knowledge way in which they are words when trying • understand how to use of word origins, eg to write them digraphs, long vowels, spelt, eg thought, Greek and Latin roots blends and silent letters bought, ought (telephone, aquarium) • say and sound while writing the letter for the to spell words • use known letter • use banks of known patterns and sound first sound in a word • choose phonetically words to assist in appropriate letters to sequences, not just spelling new words • say and write letters individual letters, when represent most of the • consider meaning for some of the sounds spelling unknown words in a word beyond the sounds in unknown and context when initial sound, identifying words (students may • become familiar with the spelling words have difficulty with various ways of the sounds through • understand that the consonant blends) representing a particular stretching the word pronunciation, spelling sound in writing, eg • spell words using and meaning of words Sight words (ENe-5A) meat, meet, metre consonant blends, have histories and • write their own name digraphs and long • correctly represent change over time using correct spelling vowel sounds that have consonant blends when • develop a knowledge been introduced as a spelling unknown words • copy the sequence of of less common letter component of the letters from models of • use common patterns and spelling reading program high-frequency, topic consonant and vowel generalisations/rules and personal words • spell words using silent digraphs in attempting and apply them to new • write high-frequency letters that have been unknown words situations introduced as a words independently Sight words (EN2-5A) Proofreading (EN3-5B) (eg is, I, am, the) component of the reading program • use an increasing bank • recognise most of known spelling misspelt words in their • use double consonants words written own writing and use a where appropriate, eg automatically variety of resources for hopping correction exchange one letter in • • consolidate and extend a written word with a proofreading skills and different letter to make take responsibility for a new word editing own work

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Segmenting to spell Metacognitive • use competent visual (EN1-5A) strategies (EN2-5A) and phonological • break simple words into • use mnemonics for strategies for morphemes to aid in spelling irregular or attempting and spelling difficult words, eg checking spelling, ‘piece of pie’ eg correcting words • break simple words into that do not ‘look or syllables to aid spelling • spell words using sound right’ spelling rules and • use rime analogy to generalisations, eg ‘i • competently use spell new words, eg various spelling mop, hop before e except after c’, ‘y to i’ rule for plurals, resources, eg spell • use knowledge of doubling consonants check, dictionary, familiar letter patterns personal spelling to spell words, eg -ed, Proofreading (EN2-5A) notebook -ing • identify spelling errors • demonstrate in own writing and awareness of the Sight words (EN1-5A) unknown texts and limitations of spell • use visual memory to provide correct spelling write high-frequency check features in digital words • increasingly use visual technology and phonetic self- • use visual memory to correction strategies in write irregular verbs editing own work, eg • focus on letter correcting words that sequences and their do not ‘look or sound sounds when copying right’ and learning high- • consider meaning and frequency, topic and context when spelling personal words words, eg when • spell high-frequency differentiating between and common sight homonyms such as words accurately their/there/they’re • spell known words • become familiar with using letter names various spelling resources, eg spell Word origins (EN1-5A) check, dictionary begin to understand • • use knowledge of how knowledge of word alphabetical order to origins supports locate information in spelling texts, eg dictionaries, glossaries • experiment with digital spell check applications and develop an awareness of the limitations of their features

5 Handwriting Learning to form letters correctly links closely with learning about letters, letter sequences and words. Early Stage 1 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Basic writing skills (ENe-3A) NSW Foundation NSW Foundation Appropriate • recognise correct pencil grip Style (EN1-3A) Style cursive handwriting style and employ self-correcting • form upper case (EN2-3A) (EN3-2A) techniques to practise it and lower case • write upper case • use a handwriting letters in NSW and lower case style that is legible, • maintain correct body position for writing Foundation Style letters in NSW fluent and automatic with letters that are: Foundation Style and varies according • use a variety of writing – of consistent size with letters that are: to audience and implements accurately purpose – of consistent – of consistent size Foundation movements shape – of consistent • write fluently in NSW (ENe-3A) Foundation Style – appropriately slope understand foundation and/or personal • spaced – appropriately movements that underpin style: spaced NSW Foundation Style – in straight lines – forming joined – in straight lines • practise the three NSW • understand how the letters of Foundation Style movements: formation of letters – legible appropriate size and spacing the sloped anticlockwise ellipse can be used to begin • explore joins that movement, the sloped transition to cursive facilitate fluency and – using appropriate clockwise ellipse movement writing legibility pressure and the sloped downstroke Writing skills write using clearly – varying style movement • (EN1-3A) formed joined letters, according to Letter formation (ENe-3A) • use correct posture and develop audience and • use foundation movements as and correct pencil increased fluency purpose a basis for the introduction of grip and automaticity • give attention to formal letters • use assistive layout and practise • copy lower case letters in NSW technologies as calligraphic Foundation Style – students appropriate flourishes to copy from a model with verbal enhance writing • use lined paper in appropriate prompts and trace from models to guide that provide directional guides situations, eg project headings • know and demonstrate that everything we write (upper • experiment with case letters, lower case letters different instruments, and numerals) will start at the eg a range of top, except for ‘d’ and ‘e’, pencils, different which start in the middle types of biros and pens, ink, calligraphy • produce some lower case pens and upper case letters using learned letter formations Writing skills (EN3-2A) • know and demonstrate that letters are proportional to • use correct pen grip each other and maintain good posture • write their own name using NSW Foundation Style Directionality (ENe-3A) • write from left to right and leave spaces between words

6 Digital text production Learning to recognise and select letters correctly links closely with learning to spell. Learning to produce effective digital and multimodal texts is essential for communication in the 21st century. Early Stage 1 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Use of digital Use of digital Use of digital Use of digital technologies technologies technologies technologies (ENe-2A, ENe-3A, (EN1-2A, EN1-3A, (EN2-2A, EN2-3A, (EN3-2A, EN3-5B) ENe-11D) EN1-11D) EN2-9B, EN2-7B) • choose and experiment • construct texts using • compose digital texts • experiment with digital with digital and software, including and multimodal multimodal resources • compose texts which word processing integrate written and technologies when constructing texts programs visual components • use a range of • experiment with • use simple functions of using digital software, including language, design, keyboard and mouse technologies word processing layout and graphics (typing, scrolling, programs to construct, • practise using a • use a range of selecting icons and keyboard edit and publish written software, including dropdown menus) text word processing • construct texts that • experiment using digital incorporate supporting • practise a range of programs, learning new technologies to images using software, keyboard skills, functions as required to produce simple texts including word eg ability to use all create texts essential function keys • create simple processing programs • demonstrate multimodal texts use digitally produced confidence, accuracy • compose emails • develop an awareness visual representations and speed in keyboard • • experiment with of issues relating to the to represent ideas, skills publishing using experience and responsible use of • discuss issues related different modes and information digital communication media to the responsible use • identify the features of digital technologies • develop an awareness of online texts that of issues relating to • use and assess the enhance navigation reliability of digital responsible use of and readability, eg text, digital communication resources when links, graphics, layout researching topics • select print and • select, edit and place multimodal elements visual, print and audio appropriate to audience elements and purpose • discuss issues related to responsible use of digital communication

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