How we teach reading (and how you can help)

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.

If you want to give your child a boost in reading, there are some simple things you can do:

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!

Above all, have fun reading together!

Mr Benjamin Munday
Assistant Principal
Holy Family East Granville

Written By

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au

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23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
A huge thank you to our wonderful Community Links Café 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! ☕✨

23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🌏♻️ Our Year 6 students stepped up as Climate Champions, investigating important environmental issues and creating informative posters about climate change! 🌱📚 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. 🌍💚 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. 🌿✨🌎 #ClimateChampions #FutureLeaders #MakingADifference