Literacy Basics
What are the four key literacy skills?
Reading, writing, speaking and listening.
What is reading comprehension?
Understanding the meaning of what is read.
What is a narrative text?
A text that tells a story, usually to entertain.
A student struggles with long instructions. What can you do?
Break instructions into smaller steps and use clear language or visual cues.
What does ESW stand for?
Education Support Worker.
What is literacy?
The ability to understand and use language to communicate, learn and participate.
What is phonics?
Understanding the relationship between letters and sounds.
What is the purpose of a procedure text?
To explain how to do or make something.
What is a word bank?
A collection of words students can use to support reading or writing.
Who directs the ESW's literacy support in the classroom?
The classroom teacher.
What is the difference between language and literacy?
Language is a system of communication; literacy is the ability to use language to understand and communicate information.
A student can read words but cannot explain the story. What skill needs support?
Reading comprehension.
What is the first stage of the writing process?
Planning.
How can pictures support literacy?
They provide visual cues that help students understand words, texts and ideas.
Should an ESW independently diagnose a student's literacy difficulty?
No. The ESW follows the teacher's program and communicates observations to the teacher.
What does vocabulary mean?
The words a person knows and understands.
What is reading fluency?
Reading accurately, smoothly and with appropriate pace and expression.
What is the difference between editing and revising?
Revising improves ideas and organisation; editing checks spelling, grammar and punctuation.
A student struggles to write sentences. Name one useful resource.
Sentence starters, a word bank, a visual planner or a model sentence.
Why is it important to build on a student's strengths?
It supports confidence, engagement, motivation and learning.
Why is literacy important in everyday life?
It helps people communicate, learn, understand information and participate in society.
Name two strategies to support reading comprehension.
Asking questions, discussing the text, using picture cues, retelling the story or breaking the text into sections.
Name the five stages of the writing process.
Planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing.
How could you support a student with reading difficulties while promoting independence?
Use planned scaffolding, prompts, modelling and accessible resources, gradually reducing help as the student gains confidence.
How should an ESW communicate a student's progress?
By sharing factual, relevant observations with the classroom teacher and following school procedures.