There was a great turnout for the parent Structured Literacy Meeting on Wednesday. After working with the Year 1 and 2 teachers all day, our Mentor, Dr Christine Braid from Massey University, spoke to parents about the brain science behind the change in how we are teaching reading, writing, and spelling. Dr Braid made clear the way decodable books differ from our traditional readers and how they are used to develop decoding and spelling skills. She explained that to develop other aspects of reading such as vocabulary development and comprehension, teachers will support children to read resources such as shared books and poems.

 In a question session at the end, she was able to clear up parent concerns about how to help children with their reading at home. The message here was the importance of developing oral language by reading and discussing stories with children, building vocabulary, and fostering an enjoyment of books. Please ask your child's teacher if you have any questions about the programme. The parent-teacher meetings on 14 April might be a good time for these conversations.