The Sydney Teacher Blog
Fun Strategies and Resources to Boost Literacy Development
Hey there, fellow educators! 👋 Let’s chat about something we all care about—literacy development in our primary classrooms.
We know how crucial it is for our little learners to build a solid foundation in reading and writing, right? So, I thought I’d share some fun ideas and resources that can really make a difference. Grab your coffee ☕️ and let’s dive in!
Writing Prompts for Young Students 📝
You know those days when kids just stare at a blank page? Writing prompts can be a lifesaver! They’re like a little nudge to get those creative juices flowing.
Here are a few prompts that I’ve found work wonders:
🐐 If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why?
📆 Imagine inventing a new day of the week. What would it be called? What do people do on that day?
🦹 Describe your real-life superpower.
These prompts are not just fun; they also help kids build their writing skills and confidence.
If you’re looking for more ideas, check out our Work on Writing Bundles for Upper Primary and Lower Primary years at The Sydney Teacher. They're jam packed with age-appropriate prompts that will inspire your students all year round!
Lower Primary ‘Work on Writing’ MEGA Pack
This MEGA pack includes everything your students need to plan, write and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts.
With both editable PowerPoints and printable templates featuring 50 engaging photo prompts, we've taken all the work out of planning your writing lessons for the whole year.
"A+ writing prompts! Students really enjoyed these writing prompts. The vocabulary list was an excellent addition as was the success criteria. Highly recommend!"
Literacy Games for Classrooms 👩💻👨💻
Let’s be real—who doesn’t love a good game? 🎯
Incorporating literacy games into your lessons can make learning feel like playtime.
Here are a couple of quick games that can get your students excited:
🤸 Anagram Aerobics: Kids race to unjumble words related to what they’re learning. It’s a great way to reinforce vocabulary!
🚍 Stop the Bus: This team game has students listing words that start with a specific letter under different categories. It gets them thinking and laughing!
If you want to take it up a notch, our Figurative Language Escape Room for Years 5 & 6 has a bunch of activities that are super easy to integrate into your lessons. Trust me, your students will love it!
Figurative Language Escape Room | Year 5 & 6
Encourage team work and collaboration in your classroom with our Figurative Language Escape Room Activity, suitable for years 5 & 6.
Students must work together to solve 4 challenging and engaging figurative language puzzles in order to crack the code and save the library from being robbed!
Reading Comprehension Tips 📖
Now, let’s chat about reading comprehension 📚 It’s so important for our students to really understand what they’re reading.
Here are some tips that can help:
👀Preview the Text: Encourage kids to look at headings, pictures, and summaries before diving in. It sets the stage for what they’re about to read.
⛓️💥 Connect to Prior Knowledge: Get them to think about what they already know about the topic. It makes the new information stick better!
🧩 Break It Up: Break reading tasks into smaller sections. It helps keep their focus and makes it less overwhelming.
For a more structured approach, check out our Super Six Comprehension Pack for Lower Primary and Upper Primary. It’s got step-by-step guides and exercises that can really help your students grasp what they’re reading.
Lower Primary Super Six Reading Comprehension Pack
$6.90
Upper Primary Super Six Reading Comprehension Pack
$6.90
Our Literature Circle Reading Comprehension Activity for Upper Primary and Lower Primary is full of activities that can be used with any fiction text, making reading more engaging for your students. Plus, our Daily 5 Collection offers some fantastic, curriculum-aligned resources that are perfect for both classroom and homeschooling.
Lower Primary Literature Circle Templates
$6.90
Upper Primary Literature Circle Templates
$6.90
And the best part? All our resources are available for instant download 📥 So, when you need something last minute, we’ve got your back! If you have any questions, our customer service team is always ready to help out.
So, there you have it! By mixing in these strategies and resources, we can really boost literacy development in our classrooms. Let’s make learning fun and effective for our students. Happy teaching, everyone!
