Prep Learning Community 

At Newtown Primary School, we firmly believe in ensuring that we set up our students for the best start possible to their schooling years. We do this by ensuring all students learning within environments that are calm and orderly and that foster a love of learning.

Literacy block 

We follow an explicit and systematic phonics program called UFLI, that teaches students the foundational skills to become proficient readers. It follows a scope and sequence as a whole class. Students then practise these skills and participate in differentiated tasks or small group work. Our Prep students take home decodable readers to support our phonics program to daily reinforce the skills taught at school.

Students all engage in language comprehension activities looking at reading strategies and developing an understanding of spoken and written language through picture story books. Language comprehension is one of the building blocks of reading comprehension.

Students are encouraged to be creative and passionate in their writing. They are exposed to language experiences, picture prompts or writing seeds to respond to, form ideas and communicate through writing. There is a strong emphasis on forming sentences, punctuation, editing and handwriting. 

Numeracy block

We teach a minimum of 5 hours of Mathematics per week. Lessons are at ‘point of need’ for all students are hands-on, connected to real-world experiences and where possible relate to real life. 

We follow the launch, explore, summarise model of teaching maths.

 In prep we:

• explore and use different learning materials.
• work with ‘hands on’ materials such as counters, unifix, numicon, teddies.
• learn a variety of maths concepts and strategies with a focus on the ‘Big Ideas’. (Focussing on understanding the numbers 1-10, subitising, trusting the count.
• problem solve using a range of strategies and explaining our strategies with the class.
• work in pairs, small groups, teacher group and independently.

Emotional regulation is a key learning for the whole school curriculum. A model selected for helping children learn and experience emotional regulation is The Zones of Regulation, which we practise in all year levels and do extensive work around. This includes teaching of Respectful Relationships.

Other exciting things in Prep and more…..

• Grade 6 Buddy Program 
• Incursions and Excursions based on our Integrated theme for the term.
• ‘100’ days of Prep party
• Open Mornings – each term
• School Concert 
• Responsible Pet Ownerships
• Life Van – Healthy Harold
• Sacred Heart – PE program
• Special themes days E.g. Harmony Day, Reconciliation Week