literacy
Reading
At Baringa School, we are committed to providing every student with a strong foundation in literacy through evidence-based teaching practices. To support the development of reading, writing, spelling and oral language skills, we implement the MultiLit suite of programs, including LanguageLift, PreLit and InitiaLit.
MultiLit is a research-based, systematic and explicit literacy approach that teaches the relationship between sounds and letters, enabling students to develop the knowledge and skills required for successful reading and writing. Through carefully sequenced instruction, students learn essential strategies such as phonemic awareness, sound–letter correspondence, blending and segmenting, syllabification, handwriting, vocabulary development, oral language, and reading comprehension.
Instruction is delivered explicitly, with regular opportunities for guided practice, review and application, ensuring students develop confidence and independence in their literacy skills.
The MultiLit programs are implemented across the school and form a core component of literacy instruction for all students in Lower Primary, Upper Primary and Secondary.
Writing
At Baringa School, writing is taught through a structured, evidence-informed approach that enables every student to develop as a confident and capable writer. We implement The Writing Revolution and the evidence-based Hochman Method, which provides teachers with a clear, explicit instructional framework for teaching writing. This approach develops students' writing skills systematically, progressing from sentence construction to well-organised paragraphs and extended compositions.
Our writing instruction is guided by the six core principles of the Hochman Method:
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Students require explicit instruction in writing, beginning in the early years.
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Sentences are the foundation of all writing.
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Writing is a powerful teaching tool when embedded across the curriculum.
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The curriculum content determines the rigour and purpose of writing tasks.
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Grammar is taught most effectively within the context of authentic writing.
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Planning and revising are essential components of the writing process.
To monitor student growth, Baringa School uses the Writing With All Tools Continuum, a purpose-designed assessment framework that captures the small but significant steps students make as they develop their writing skills. The continuum enables staff to identify each student's current stage of development, monitor progress over time, and plan targeted instruction. It focuses on the key elements of writing development, including functions of print, language, text structure, and written expression.
At Baringa, we recognise that every student's writing journey is unique. We believe that writing is about communicating ideas, not simply using a pencil. Students are therefore supported to write using the tools that best meet their individual needs, including pencils, keyboards, alternative access devices, or the alphabet within their augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. By ensuring equitable access to writing, we provide every student with meaningful opportunities to develop their communication, demonstrate their learning, and experience success as a writer.
Speaking and listening
Many of the students at Baringa School have speech and language disorders or complex communication needs, meaning speech is not meeting their needs. For this reason, there are many strategies in place to support each student’s speech and language. Baringa implements several programs/strategies that support speech development and communication.
Our classroom-based teaching and learning strategies include:
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Supporting and prioritising student communication across all subject areas.
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Staff making necessary and reasonable adjustments to curriculum materials to ensure that students with speech, language disorders and/or complex communication needs can understand and respond to content.
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Staff prioritising time for Individual Therapy Plans (ITP’s) expand (developed by a Speech Pathologist) as needed.
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Students who require Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) are supported to use their systems.
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Staff adopting a multimodal approach and considering all forms of communication as valuable i.e. signing, use of electronic and non-electronic AAC. Staff are trained in many different types of communication systems (e.g. LAMP WFL, PODD communication systems, Proloqou2go, Snap Core First etc.).
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Aided Language Stimulation is provided through the use of robust communication systems and aided language displays (ALDs). Each classroom is also provided with a Group PODD book to use to support their students receptive and expressive communication.
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Aided language stimulation is provided in a naturalistic way throughout the school day. This means that staff model the use of AAC systems and ensure they are always available.
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Staff prioritising literacy learning to support each student to become truly autonomous.
To further support our student’s language development, Language Lift, another evidence based MultiLit program is used to support our primary students. Language Lift supports students with oral language difficulties and targets the areas of vocabulary, grammar, story comprehension and production.
Baringa also have a dedicated Speech Team that support in every classroom. They provide regular training to staff members on communication, write ITPs to support student’s speech or language, liase with external Speech Pathologists and support students to access individualised communication systems.
Baringa also implements Heggerty. Heggerty is an oral language program designed to develop students’ phonemic awareness. The lessons include 8 phonological and phonemic awareness skills, taught in systematic progressions. Through the program students are taught to isolate, blend and segment phonemes. The program also helps students develop alphabet knowledge though its songs and nursery rhymes.
