English

At Grantlea Downs, we teach reading, writing, spelling, and handwriting explicitly because these foundational skills are the essential keys that unlock the rest of the curriculum. We also place a strong emphasis on oral and visual language, recognising that being able to speak confidently, listen actively, and interpret images
or media is vital for modern communication. By providing clear, direct instruction in all these areas, we ensure every child has the tools to express their ideas clearly and understand the world around them. These literacy skills are woven into every subject, allowing students to communicate their findings as scientists, document as historians, and share their creativity across the arts and technology.

At Grantlea Downs, structured literacy has been evolving in our junior school for the past six years. We are committed to providing a strong foundation in literacy for our students, and this journey continues to grow and adapt. Recently, we have adopted the Ideal programme in the Acacia and Kereta area, while Waipopo are incorporating elements of this structured approach.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine programme serves as the main literacy framework in Opihi, with Waipopo also integrating elements of Sunshine reading into their teaching.

Our teams utilise a variety of valuable tools to enhance the structured literacy programme. These include the Syntax Project, Heggerty, and Little Learner Love Literacy, among others. These resources help us deliver a comprehensive and engaging literacy education for our students.

Our primary goal is to teach the basics of literacy effectively, while also extending our students' skills wherever possible. We believe in fostering a love for literacy, ensuring that our students are not only competent readers and writers but also enthusiastic learners.