Literacy for Life at St Clair's

Students are catching the book worm at Holy Spirit St Clair’s, by being a part of its Early Bird Reading Program.

Designed to support all students by promoting the importance of reading and writing in our daily lives, this program offers more than basic literacy skills.

While improving their ability to read and write, the children spend lots of time with their peers in becoming more aware of others’ emotions, feelings and perspectives. It’s also offers a great opportunity to build positive relationships.

Reading is a major focus at Holy Spirit, as they believe success in life comes from the ability to read and understand complex concepts.

They take a whole-school approach to the teaching of reading, having strategies taught in English, as well as all key learning areas and other aspects of school life beyond the classroom.

In the classroom, children are encouraged to become active in the reading process by talking about what they are reading before, during and afterwards.

They are encouraged to understand the texts at a deep level, rather than just at the surface. This helps them develop life skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, analysis, and justification of their point of view.

Holy Spirit students and families know and understand the importance of reading at home too.

6 Tips for helping your child when reading at home

Every child reads something he or she chooses… let your child choose the story.
Every child reads accurately… be encouraging while helping them read the words correctly.
Every child reads something he or she understands… make sure the story is relevant to his or her experience.
Every child writes about something personally meaningful… encourage your child to write about his or her interests, or something they care about.
Every child talks with peers about reading and writing… try to have a conversation with your child about what they learnt from their homework.
Every child listens to a fluent adult read aloud… try to make time to read to your child or spend some time reading as a family.

(Based on six elements of literacy instruction – Richard L. Allington & Rachael E. Gabriel, 2012)

Written By

Holy Spirit Primary St Clair
www.hsstclair.catholic.edu.au

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12 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 5 have been working hard in English, upgrading their writing with adjectival clauses, stronger verb groups, and more precise vocabulary. They’ve been swapping out simple words for sharper synonyms and discovering that every word has a job to do. Their sentences are growing in depth, detail, and confidence. Through oral construction with partners, students have been rehearsing and refining their ideas before writing, discussing different ways to strengthen sentences and selecting the most effective language. This collaborative talk has helped students develop greater confidence as writers while deepening their understanding of how language choices can engage and inform the reader.

12 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🏀⭐ Ball Skills in Action! ⭐🏀 Our Kindergarten students have been having a fantastic time participating in Zing Learning Ball Skills! Through fun and engaging activities, they have been developing their coordination, balance, teamwork and confidence while learning important fundamental movement skills. From bouncing and catching to throwing and rolling, every session has been filled with smiles, laughter and lots of active learning! 🎉 We are so proud of the enthusiasm, perseverance and positive attitudes our students have shown as they challenge themselves and celebrate their successes. Well done, superstars! 🌟👏 Click here for more photos https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QnHlU5aa2Ipo3tODGPpueJcES0zkoyGf?usp=sharing