Ben Munday with students reading at Holy Family Primary
Do you remember learning to drive? Even if you’ve never learned, you can probably imagine the process.
At first, there is SO much to remember and it can seem overwhelming. When you try to focus on getting the clutch right, you forget about putting on your indicator. Just when you feel you’ve got the hang of second gear, your teacher says “Now shift into third”.
If you had professional lessons, your instructor’s car had a second set of pedals on their side of the car. This way, they could share some of the control just in case you were about to drive them into a wall.
So what does all this have to do with reading?
Good readers are like good drivers. We use many, many different skills and processes all at the same time without even noticing. And just like you learn to change gears and steer so you can use the car to get somewhere, when we read we use all the different skills for a higher purpose – to make meaning from written words. In other words, to understand, or comprehend what we read. ‘Getting all the words right’ is less important than understanding what we read.
Just like driving teachers, school teachers use a ‘gradual release of responsibility’ model when teaching reading.
- In Modelled Reading, the teacher is in control.
- In Shared Reading, the teacher leads and the children join in.
- In Guided Reading, the children lead and the teacher joins in if necessary.
- In Independent Reading, the child leads and is in control.
- Read to your children every day in any language – even five minutes is a good start
- Talk about what you have read
- Talk about movies and games and compare them to stories you know
- Listen to your children read their home readers to you
- Have books available for your children to read for pleasure
- Take your children to the library to borrow books, magazines, books on CDs, anything!
- Teach your children to read a menu, a shopping list, a catalogue, a bus timetable, anything!
Mr Benjamin Munday
Assistant Principal
Holy Family East Granville
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐โจ Celebrating our End of Term Award recipients! โจ๐ Today we recognised students who have truly shone by choosing to Live Safely ๐, Love Respectfully โค๏ธ, and Learn Daily ๐. Their positive attitudes, kind hearts, and commitment to doing their best make our school community a wonderful place to be. We also had three Year students who were recipients of our Student of the Week awards! Congratulations to all of our award winners! ๐ Keep being role models, making great choices, and inspiring those around you. We canโt wait to see what youโll achieve next term! ๐๐ #LiveSafely #LoveRespectfully #LearnDaily
25 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Reward Day Fun! ๐ Our students have been working hard to follow our school expectations, and their rewards were well deserved! ๐ ๐งฆ Year 1 rocked their craziest socks and enjoyed a movie afternoon ๐ฟ ๐ Year 4 showed off their favourite jerseys and earned some extra play time โฝ ๐งข Year 3 topped had the chance to wear any hat of their choice! A fantastic way to celebrate positive choices, respect, responsibility and safe learning every day! ๐โจ
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26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐โจ Celebrating our End of Term Award recipients! โจ๐ Today we recognised students who have truly shone by choosing to Live Safely ๐, Love Respectfully โค๏ธ, and Learn Daily ๐. Their positive attitudes, kind hearts, and commitment to doing their best make our school community a wonderful place to be. We also had three Year students who were recipients of our Student of the Week awards! Congratulations to all of our award winners! ๐ Keep being role models, making great choices, and inspiring those around you. We canโt wait to see what youโll achieve next term! ๐๐ #LiveSafely #LoveRespectfully #LearnDaily
25 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Reward Day Fun! ๐ Our students have been working hard to follow our school expectations, and their rewards were well deserved! ๐ ๐งฆ Year 1 rocked their craziest socks and enjoyed a movie afternoon ๐ฟ ๐ Year 4 showed off their favourite jerseys and earned some extra play time โฝ ๐งข Year 3 topped had the chance to wear any hat of their choice! A fantastic way to celebrate positive choices, respect, responsibility and safe learning every day! ๐โจ
24 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Reward Day Fun! ๐ Today, our students enjoyed some well-earned rewards for consistently demonstrating our school expectations! ๐ ๐ Year 1 brightened the school by dressing in their favourite colours ๐ ๐ฐ Year 2 brought the magic to life, dressing as their favourite Disney characters โจ๐ ๐งธ Year 5 enjoyed a mufti day and brought along their favourite toys to share with friends ๐ฎ๐๐งฉ We are so proud of the way these students have shown respect, responsibility, and positive behaviour throughout the term. Rewards like these are earned through hard work and consistently making great choices every day! ๐โญ What a fantastic day of fun, colour, creativity, and celebration! ๐
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
A huge thank you to our wonderful Community Links Cafรฉ Club members for joining us this week! It was fantastic to come together, share a coffee, and hear about the learning taking place across our school. Families had the opportunity to participate in a Learning Walk, visiting classrooms and seeing firsthand the engaging learning experiences our students are involved in every day. The positive outcomes for student learning that have emerged from these initiatives were a highlight of our discussions, and it was wonderful to celebrate the growth, achievement, and enthusiasm of our learners. We are incredibly grateful to the parents who generously gave their time to support and engage with our school community. Your interest, feedback, and partnership play an important role in helping us create the best possible learning environment for our students. Thank you for being such valued members of our Holy Family community. We look forward to welcoming you again soon! โโจ
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐โป๏ธ Our Year 6 students stepped up as Climate Champions, investigating important environmental issues and creating informative posters about climate change! ๐ฑ๐ They explored the causes and effects of climate change and designed engaging, eye-catching posters to educate others about simple ways we can all help care for our planet. ๐๐ Through this project, students strengthened their research, critical thinking, and communication skills while encouraging our school community to take positive action for a brighter, more sustainable future. ๐ฟโจ๐ #ClimateChampions #FutureLeaders #MakingADifference
22 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Four of our Year 6 students took part in a Vinnies Encounter Day, learning about homelessness and reflecting on how we can see Christ in the poor. Through this experience, they were challenged to respond with compassion, kindness and respect, following Jesus' example of love in action.
19 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ง Splashing into learning! Year 1 explored volume and capacity through hands-on investigations with water. Students estimated and measured how many cups of water different containers could hold, recording their findings and sharing their discoveries. It was a fun and engaging way to develop mathematical thinking and measurement skills.
17 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Who knew pyjamas could be so powerful? ๐โ๏ธ Today our students came to school dressed in their comfiest pyjamas, oodies and dressing gowns to support the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Together, we raised an amazing $452 and helped raise awareness for those doing it tough this winter. By following Jesus' example of compassion, kindness and love in action, we are helping bring hope and support to those who need it most. Thank you to our students, families and staff for your generosity. ๐ #faithinactioncspd
16 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 3 had an unforgettable Science excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park! ๐๐ ๐ As part of our learning about caring for the environment and habitats of living things, students explored how animals survive, what they need to live, and ways we can help protect endangered species. From feeding wallabies and meeting meerkats to feeling pythons up close, it was a hands-on learning experience filled with excitement, curiosity and discovery! ๐ก๐ง ๐ง
12 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Students of the Week ๐ What a fantastic group of achievers! ๐โจ This week we celebrated our talented poets ๐, brilliant mathematicians ๐ข and enthusiastic readers ๐. These students have demonstrated hard work, determination and a commitment to learning, making us incredibly proud. Congratulations on your achievements and for being shining examples in our school community! โญ๏ธ๐ Keep up the amazing work! ๐
10 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐จ Missing: Year 4! ๐จ Today, Year 4 seemed to disappear and in their place were teachers, sports stars, singers, workmen, scientists, make-up artists and surgeons! ๐ฉโ๐ซโฝ๐ค๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฉบ As a reward for consistently following our school expectations, Year 4 dressed up as who or what they wanted to be when they are older. ๐ It was wonderful to see our students dreaming big and proudly sharing what they hope to become in the future. The future is looking bright! Congratulations Year 4! Keep up the great work!
10 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Mark your calendars as Holy Family comes together to support the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, helping those in our community who are doing it tough this winter. ๐ Wednesday 17th June ๐ฐ Gold coin donation โ๏ธWear your cosiest PJs with your enclosed sport shoes (no UGG boots, slippers or open toe shoes) Students are invited to bring a gold coin donation as we join together in living out our faith through action and compassion, supporting the important work of St Vincent de Paul in providing care and assistance to people in need.
09 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐โโ๏ธ๐โโ๏ธ Athletics Carnival 2026 ๐ What an incredible day of energy, teamwork and school spirit! From the starting line to the finish line, our students gave their best, cheered each other on and showed outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day. ๐ Whether they were running, jumping, or supporting their friends, everyone played a part in making our Athletics Carnival such a success. We are so proud of the determination, resilience and enthusiasm shown by all students. ๐๐โค๏ธ๐ A huge thank you to our staff, families and volunteers who helped make the day possible. What a fantastic celebration of participation and perseverance!
05 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ฑโจ Kindergarten teamed up with their wonderful Year 6 buddies to plant their very own plants! ๐งโ๐คโ๐ง๐ As part of their learning about plants as living things, our Kindergarten students have been exploring what plants need to grow and survive. ๐ฟโ๏ธ๐ง After researching and discovering all about plant life, it was time to put their knowledge into action! We canโt wait to watch our plants grow and flourish over the coming weeks! ๐ฑ๐ผ๐
04 Jun 2026
What Your Child Really Learns in the First 100 Days of School
One moment your child is holding your hand at the school gate and before you know it, they're walking in confidently, greeting friends by name, carrying their own bag, and coming home full of stories about 'assembly' and 'sport'. Hereโs what to expect in their first 100 days of Kindergarten.