Do the PLD stages correspond to year levels in primary school?
No. This is not the case. PLD advocates that there is a range in ability within every class. This range in ability will be different for each classroom. PLD advocates that a placement test presented each term will provide information for three levels of ability and the teaching content that is required for that range. This content is then taken from the Phonic Sight Word Sequence book.
Students with the national curriculum, are required to read, spell and write in their first compulsory year in school or Pre-Primary (WA), Transition (NT), Reception (SA) Prep. (QLD, VIC, TAS), Kindergarten (NSW, ACT). Hence students are required to be well into stage 1 within the Foundation year. How far students progress into stage 1 is dependent upon a range of factors; the school’s whole school literacy strategy, how effectively PLD is being implemented across classrooms and factors such as the entry level of the students. In every class there will always be students operating higher and lower, but undoubtedly average students need to be at least half-way through stage 1 within the Foundation year. Please refer to Australian Curriculum work samples for an indication of ‘satisfactory’ levels.
This is an important question, as it highlights, where students should be entering each year level and also the skills/stages they should be exiting.
The flow on effects, are such that:
Students should exit Foundation/enter Year 1 half way through stage 1 (or with a high level of stage 1 target 2 and 3 accuracy)
The majority of students should exit Year 1 (enter year 2) with minimal errors in PLD’s stage 1, and be operating within Stage 2. Hence it should be Year 1’s job to finish teaching Stage 1, and commence teaching Stage 2.
The majority of students should exit Year 2 (enter year 3) with minimal errors in PLD’s stages 1 and 2, and be operating within Stage 3. Hence it should be Year 2’s job to finish teaching Stage 2 (while addressing any remaining Stage 1 errors) and commence teaching Stage 3.
The majority of students should exit Year 3 (enter year 4) with minimal errors in PLD’s stages 1, 2 and 3, and be operating within Stage 4. Hence it should be Year 3’s job to finish teaching Stage 3 (while addressing any remaining Stage 1 and 2 errors) and commence teaching Stage 4.
The majority of students should exit Year 4 (enter year 5) with minimal errors in PLD’s stages 1, 2, 3 and 4, and be operating within Stage 5. Hence it should be Year 4’s job to finish teaching Stage 4 (while addressing any remaining Stage 1, 2 and 3 errors) and commence teaching Stage 5.
The majority of students should exit Year 5 (enter year 6) with minimal errors in PLD’s stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and be operating within Stage 6. Hence it should be Year 5’s job to finish teaching Stage 5 (while addressing any remaining Stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 errors) and commence teaching Stage 6.
To be more specific, half way through a stage can be determined by 40-60% accuracy at that stage.
PLD recognises that it is unrealistic that all students will be operating at a single level, but over time, through the effective implementation of SSP, the majority (70% of students) should be operating at age appropriate levels.
Further details of how this skill development is achieved:
In Foundation: is located within the Foundation Teaching Sequence Manual.
In Year 1 and 2: is located in the Year 1 & 2 Teaching Sequence Manual.
In Year 3, 4, 5 & 6: is located in the Year 3, 4 5 & 6 Teaching Sequence Manual.
PLD’s view is never to allocate a stage of ‘word and phonic study content’ to a year level. E.g. Year 2 is responsible for stage 2 and Year 3 is responsible for stage 3. This is not how PLD operates.
The class profiles should then be entered into the PLD Tracking Sheets. Request the tracking sheets HERE.
All students are required to make progress each term. If operating in:
Stage 1, students should progress from one target to the next each term. Please note, that if students are experiencing difficulties or are slow to progress, this quick skill investigation typically provides an indication why this is occurring and what the student requires as a consequence of these difficulties.
Stages 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, students should increase in ability by approximately 25% each term.
If students achieve the expected level of progress, this typically equates to a minimum of a 12 month increase in ability utilising a standardised assessment.
Students with the national curriculum, are required to read, spell and write in their first compulsory year in school or Pre-Primary (WA), Transition (NT), Reception (SA) Prep. (QLD, VIC, TAS), Kindergarten (NSW, ACT). Hence students are required to be well into stage 1 within the Foundation year. How far students progress into stage 1 is dependent upon a range of factors; the school’s whole school literacy strategy, how effectively PLD is being implemented across classrooms and factors such as the entry level of the students. In every class there will always be students operating higher and lower, but undoubtedly average students need to be at least half-way through stage 1 within the Foundation year. Please refer to Australian Curriculum work samples for an indication of ‘satisfactory’ levels.
This is an important question, as it highlights, where students should be entering each year level and also the skills/stages they should be exiting.
The flow on effects, are such that:
Students should exit Foundation/enter Year 1 half way through stage 1 (or with a high level of stage 1 target 2 and 3 accuracy)
The majority of students should exit Year 1 (enter year 2) with minimal errors in PLD’s stage 1, and be operating within Stage 2. Hence it should be Year 1’s job to finish teaching Stage 1, and commence teaching Stage 2.
The majority of students should exit Year 2 (enter year 3) with minimal errors in PLD’s stages 1 and 2, and be operating within Stage 3. Hence it should be Year 2’s job to finish teaching Stage 2 (while addressing any remaining Stage 1 errors) and commence teaching Stage 3.
The majority of students should exit Year 3 (enter year 4) with minimal errors in PLD’s stages 1, 2 and 3, and be operating within Stage 4. Hence it should be Year 3’s job to finish teaching Stage 3 (while addressing any remaining Stage 1 and 2 errors) and commence teaching Stage 4.
The majority of students should exit Year 4 (enter year 5) with minimal errors in PLD’s stages 1, 2, 3 and 4, and be operating within Stage 5. Hence it should be Year 4’s job to finish teaching Stage 4 (while addressing any remaining Stage 1, 2 and 3 errors) and commence teaching Stage 5.
The majority of students should exit Year 5 (enter year 6) with minimal errors in PLD’s stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and be operating within Stage 6. Hence it should be Year 5’s job to finish teaching Stage 5 (while addressing any remaining Stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 errors) and commence teaching Stage 6.
To be more specific, half way through a stage can be determined by 40-60% accuracy at that stage.
PLD recognises that it is unrealistic that all students will be operating at a single level, but over time, through the effective implementation of SSP, the majority (70% of students) should be operating at age appropriate levels.
Further details of how this skill development is achieved:
In Foundation: is located within the Foundation Teaching Sequence Manual.
In Year 1 and 2: is located in the Year 1 & 2 Teaching Sequence Manual.
In Year 3, 4, 5 & 6: is located in the Year 3, 4 5 & 6 Teaching Sequence Manual.
PLD’s view is never to allocate a stage of ‘word and phonic study content’ to a year level. E.g. Year 2 is responsible for stage 2 and Year 3 is responsible for stage 3. This is not how PLD operates.
The class profiles should then be entered into the PLD Tracking Sheets. Request the tracking sheets HERE.
All students are required to make progress each term. If operating in:
Stage 1, students should progress from one target to the next each term. Please note, that if students are experiencing difficulties or are slow to progress, this quick skill investigation typically provides an indication why this is occurring and what the student requires as a consequence of these difficulties.
Stages 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, students should increase in ability by approximately 25% each term.
If students achieve the expected level of progress, this typically equates to a minimum of a 12 month increase in ability utilising a standardised assessment.
Updated on: 15/05/2023
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