Curriculum Program
Literacy at Millwarra Primary School
At Millwarra Primary School, our literacy program aims to nurture lifelong readers and writers. We use a clear, systematic approach that builds students’ skills and deepens their understanding of reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Phonics (Prep–Grade 2)
At Millwarra Primary School, students in Prep to Grade 2 build strong foundations in reading through a systematic synthetic phonics approach using the Little Learners Love Literacy program.
This structured program supports students to develop the skills needed to become confident, capable readers by explicitly teaching the relationship between sounds and letters.
For students in Grades 3–6, literacy learning continues through Victorian Curriculum–aligned lessons that focus on spelling, grammar and punctuation. These lessons follow a structured and sequential approach, building students’ language knowledge and skills across each year level.
Text Study
From Prep to Grade 6, students explore a wide range of texts to develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
Through studying different texts, students learn to comprehend and create texts with accuracy, confidence and fluency. Our aim is to foster a lifelong love of literacy by engaging students with a variety of rich and meaningful texts.
Building Strong Literacy Skills
Across all year levels, our literacy programs aim to strengthen students’ abilities in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Our structured literacy approach incorporates the “Big 6” elements of reading (Konza, 2014):
- Oral language – using spoken language to express knowledge, ideas and emotions
- Phonemic awareness – recognising and working with individual sounds (phonemes) in words
- Phonics – understanding the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes)
- Fluency – reading accurately, smoothly and with appropriate expression
- Vocabulary – understanding the meaning of words in isolation and in context
- Comprehension – making meaning from text, including developing an understanding of grammar
Together, these foundational skills enable students to read, write and respond to increasingly complex fiction and non-fiction texts with confidence and independence.
Numeracy at Millwarra Primary School
At Millwarra Primary School, we use the Top Ten Maths program, a whole-school, hands-on approach designed to build strong numeracy skills and support student progress in mathematics. This program combines explicit teaching with engaging, concrete materials to make learning meaningful and accessible for all students.
Key Features of the Top Ten Maths Program
- Hands-On and Explicit Teaching
Moving beyond traditional worksheets, our program focuses on hands-on activities and clear, direct instruction to help students understand mathematical concepts deeply. - Developmentally Sequenced Units
Lessons are carefully organized into units that follow a logical developmental progression, ensuring students build their skills step-by-step. - Concrete Materials
Students learn using a variety of physical resources such as counters, dice, rulers, and attribute blocks, helping them visualise and explore mathematical ideas. - Diagnostic and Formative Assessments
Regular assessments allow teachers to identify individual strengths and areas for growth, enabling tailored support and targeted intervention where needed. - Real-Life Connections
The program uses everyday examples and practical scenarios to make math relevant and engaging, helping students see the value of numeracy in their daily lives.
