Transforming Literacy: A Journey of Growth and Innovation
In a thought-provoking conversation between Sharon Callen, a literacy consultant, and Tamara Biddle, a Foundation year teacher at Mount Barker South Primary School, we gain valuable insights into the transformation of literacy teaching practices. This inspiring discussion reveals how moving away from rigid programs towards more flexible and responsive approaches has revolutionised children's engagement with reading and writing. Tamara's experiences offer practical wisdom for educators seeking to foster a love of literacy in their own classrooms.
The Evolution of Literacy Teaching
When Tamara began her teaching career at Mount Barker South in 2017, the school followed structured literacy programs like Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar. The approach was highly prescriptive, with teachers expected to adhere to set genres, scripted lessons, and predetermined cycles.
"We followed a scripted program and ran through that every day in our literacy blocks," Tamara explains. "It was very rigid. There wasn't much scope for changing things or having creativity within it."
The transformation began when senior staff members attended the partnership's "Be Brave" sessions led by Sharon and started implementing new approaches. The school established the Literacy Action Team, which Tamara eagerly joined, and the school engaged Sharon as a consultant. This marked the beginning of a significant shift in how literacy was taught throughout the school.
One of the first changes was restructuring the timetable to include all literacy lessons in the morning block across all year levels. This scheduling adjustment allowed for more substantial, focused learning during the most productive part of the day. The school also moved away from commercial programs, empowering teachers to develop their own sequenced activities tailored to their students' needs.
Building a Cohesive Instructional Model
The Literacy Action Team worked with Sharon to develop a comprehensive instructional model that would provide consistency while allowing for flexibility. The resulting literacy block now includes:
- Word Work
- Reader's Workshop
- Writer's Workshop
These components flow naturally into one another, with skills and concepts from word work reinforced in both reading and writing workshops.
While there is still structure around the curriculum content, such as which sounds will be taught throughout the year, teachers now have the autonomy to adjust their instruction based on student needs. If a learning opportunity arises unexpectedly—perhaps when a student notices a particular letter pattern or punctuation mark in their reading—teachers can pivot their plans to address it.
"We plan a week in advance, but we adapt and change throughout the week as necessary," Tamara says. "We adjust to what our students need."
This responsiveness extends to team planning, where reception teachers collaborate to map out their lessons while still differentiating for their specific classes. They cover the same genres throughout the year but may teach them differently depending on their students' skills and progress.
The Power of Bookmaking
A cornerstone of Tamara's approach with her Reception class this year has been bookmaking—an engaging practice that allows children to see themselves as authors and illustrators from their very first days at school.
At the beginning of the year, when many students couldn't yet write, Tamara facilitated class books where each child contributed a page. Those who weren't writing independently had their ideas scribed by teachers or support staff.
"So many of the students have so many ideas to share," Tamara emphasises. "Just because they can't write doesn't mean you don't want them to share or can't get them to share. As soon as you ask them questions or give them a lead-in or let them explain something to you or tell a story, they're off. They love telling stories and sharing their ideas."
The bookmaking process typically began with reading a story together, such as "Wombat Stew," which the children would enthusiastically join in reading. Afterwards, they would respond to the text by drawing their favourite part and either writing about it themselves or having an adult scribe for them. This differentiated approach ensured that all children could participate successfully.
A crucial element of the process was the sharing at the end of the lesson. Students would bring their books to the mat, sit in a circle, and take turns sharing their work with the class—even if their page contained only an illustration. This oral sharing allowed every child to feel successful and validated as an author.
As students learned more letters throughout the year, their writing evolved naturally. They began by labelling their illustrations with initial letters, then progressed to writing whole words, simple sentences, and eventually creating their own books entirely.
Nurturing a Community of Writers and Readers
The journey from class books to individual books marked an important milestone, accompanied by the introduction of "gallery walks" where students displayed their books on tables and peers circulated to view and offer feedback.
"We talked about giving feedback to others and how that looks," Tamara explains. "Is it kind? Are they kind words? Is it constructive criticism? There were lots of components to the bookmaking that became really effective and embedded into our Readers and Writers workshop."
The authentic audience created by these sharing opportunities proved highly motivating. Children were especially excited to share books based on classroom experiences, such as when two guinea pigs visited from the Department for Education and inspired stories about their adventures.
The Art of Illustration
Alongside writing development, Tamara placed significant emphasis on illustration skills. Initially, many children drew tiny pictures in the corner of the page and expressed doubts about their abilities. Through explicit teaching and thoughtful feedback, Tamara helped them understand that illustrations in books typically fill the page, contain relevant details, and use varied colours.
"As we gave them feedback and said, 'If you look at other picture books, they've got beautiful pictures, they take up the whole page, they're about what we are writing about'... the illustrations progressed and they were incredible," Tamara recalls. "Some of the illustrations we are getting now are amazing. They've really worked hard on being illustrators."
This focus on illustration acknowledges that children often tell their stories through pictures before they can express them in writing. By validating their visual communication and gradually building their skills, Tamara helped students develop pride in their work and confidence in their abilities.
Building Identity Through Student Names
A powerful strategy in Tamara's Reception classroom was the intensive focus on names—both the children's own names and those of their classmates. Activities included artwork around names, identifying letters in names, alphabetically ordering names, and creating name books.
"We had a class roll in the morning with everyone's name and their picture," Tamara explains. "By the end of the year now, they can read out a list of people's names in the class because they've read over and over all year."
This name work served multiple purposes: it helped children learn to read and write high-frequency words, built classroom community, and gave students confidence as readers and writers. Names appeared on the classroom word wall, becoming accessible resources for everyone.
The Eric Carle Exploration
At the beginning of the year, Tamara engaged her Reception class in a six-week exploration of Eric Carle and his distinctive style. Students studied the patterns in his books and his collage illustration technique. They created their own painted papers and used them to make books in Carle's style.
This immersion allowed children to see themselves as both writers and illustrators, following the model of a beloved author. The enthusiasm for creating "Eric Carle paper" continued long after the formal unit concluded, demonstrating the deep impression it made on the students.
Poetry and Song
Throughout the year, Tamara integrated poetry into the literacy program. Students read poems, created their own, and took poems home to share with their families. The class also incorporated singing and action rhymes, often with puppets, and typically focused on a particular song each week.
These activities supported phonological awareness while making literacy joyful and multisensory. The performance aspect—singing together and acting out rhymes—reinforced the communicative purpose of language.
The Power of Conferring
A critical element of Tamara's practice is conferring with students about their reading. Rather than focusing solely on literal comprehension questions ("What colour is the boy's shirt?"), Tamara asks richer questions that engage children's thinking and maintain their enthusiasm for reading:
- What is your favourite part of this book?
- What have you enjoyed about this story?
- Who are the characters?
- What is happening next?
"I think as a student that is starting to read early on, you want them to still have that love of reading," Tamara reflects. "You don't want to be asking them questions that are irrelevant to them. You want to engage them and you want them to share."
This thoughtful approach to conferring mirrors the sharing time that Tamara builds into lessons, reinforcing the idea that reading is about making meaning and personal connection, not just decoding text (although this is always vitally important).
Looking Forward to Year 1/2
As Tamara prepares to teach a Year 1/2 class next year, she plans to bring many of these successful practices with her. She intends to begin with class bookmaking to establish classroom culture before transitioning to individual books. The focus on community building through shared literary experiences will remain central to her approach.
With older students, Tamara anticipates more emphasis on the drafting and editing process, helping children critique their own work rather than relying on teacher feedback. Reading responses will include more written components alongside illustrations, though the value of oral sharing will remain paramount.
The Heart of Literacy Learning
Throughout the conversation, what shines through is Tamara's commitment to making literacy learning joyful, meaningful, and accessible to all students. By moving away from rigid programs toward responsive teaching, she has created a classroom where every child can experience success and develop a genuine love of reading and writing.
The transformation at Mount Barker South Primary School demonstrates how schools can evolve their literacy practices to better serve students. It requires courage to move beyond commercial programs, collaborative planning among teachers, and a willingness to adapt instruction based on student needs. The results—children who see themselves as readers and writers, who eagerly create and share books, who notice language patterns and take pride in their work—make the journey worthwhile.
For teachers embarking on similar paths, Tamara's experience offers both inspiration and practical wisdom. Small shifts—restructuring the timetable, introducing class books, focusing on names, providing authentic purposes for writing and sharing—can lead to significant improvements in student engagement and achievement.
Most importantly, these approaches preserve what should be at the heart of early literacy instruction: decoding and comprehension skills, phonological awareness, vocabulary development, and fluency—all within structured learning sequences developed by the teacher according to student need and the demands of the full curriculum. These foundational skills are empowered by the joy of stories, the power of personal expression, and the magic of sharing ideas with others—creating a virtuous cycle where technical competence and authentic engagement reinforce each other.