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Find answers to your literacy questions here.
There is so much confusion surrounding sight words. Do you have any tips?
Sight words are a special high frequency category of words that students are instructed to recognise automatically. The term ‘sight word’ can mean several different things: high frequency words; phonetically irregular words; or familiar words that require no effort to recall (orthographic lexicon or sight vocabulary). When educators refer to sight words they are usually referring to high frequency words, some of which may be phonetically irregular. When learning high frequency words, instant re
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PLD Screening tools? Which tests do I use?
In line with PLD's Teaching Sequence Manuals, the PLD Screening & Tracking Manuals outline: What to screen? When to screen? How to screen? How to report on the data collected? Download the year level specific manuals here: Early Years Foundation Year 1 & 2 Year 3, 4, 5 & 6
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Which standardised assessment does PLD recommend?
When investigating the options to assess single word reading and spelling skills there are many testing options available. The list provides below provides some of the basic tools available to schools that are relatively easy to access, are cost effective and relatively time efficient to administer. Burt Word Reading Test (1981) Alison Gilmore, Cedric Croft and Neil Reid The Burt Word Reading Test provide
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Can I request the 2020 PLD excel tracking sheets, to enhance the school’s implementation of PLD by tracking student performance each term?
For a comprehensive guide to using the PLD Screens and Tracking Sheets as well as demonstration videos presented by Diana Rigg see the year level specific pages Early Years including the Screening & Tracking Manual along with a training video Foundation including the Screening & Tracking Manual along with a training video [Year 1 & 2 including the Screening & Tracking Manual along with a training video](https://p
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How well should students be reading at the end of the Foundation school year?
Below you will find a PLD's general skill acquisition sequence for Foundation students. Do note that the Foundation Screening & Tracking Manual, now openly available to download on the PLD website, is what schools should be utilizing to plan the class reading program and the decodable reading books required. Not all students acquire reading skills at
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We use a lot of PM readers, is there is a PLD to PM reading level correlation available?
PLD’s decodable reading books have been specifically chosen by Diana Rigg as they align with PLD’s structured synthetic phonics approach (SSP). What does this mean? This blog has been fully updated HERE.
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Do you have any tips for using the PLD excel spreadsheets for tracking student skill acquisition?
**General Guidelines **(for recording results) using the ‘The 2019/2020 Phonic & sight word sequence Placement Test’
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I want to start the year well. Can you assist with the EARLY YEARS or FOUNDATION testing being recorded on the PLD Excel Tracking Sheets?
PLD have recently released a series of implementation support manuals to guide you through the PLD process. Click on the link(s) below to access the pages relevant to Early Years and Foundation in which we have provided: Teaching Sequence Manuals Screening & Tracking Manuals Parent Education Downloads Professional Development options The Year Level Specific Tracking Sheets Videos - which will guide you
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Prospective Authors
If you are a literacy professional interested in contributing to PLD Learning Resources, we’re very interested in hearing from you. Please review the following information to discover how we can work together with you. Guide for Prospective Authors PLD Learning Resources is an Australian company specialising in the publication of learning resources for 3 to 11-year-olds. The company was established in 2007 and currently publishes over 85 items. PLD Learning Resources publishes resources des
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How well should students be spelling at the end of the Foundation school year?
SPELLING: Below is a general acquisition sequence. Note that the spelling assessments (now openly available to download on the PLD website) are what school’s should be utilizing to refine the class spelling program. Be aware that young students require repeated practice and opportunities for consolidation. Only progress to higher levels of spelling ability when there is a high level of ease and accuracy being observed. Make sure that the school’s scope and sequence for the year is realis
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I am marking PLD spelling placement tests and I am not sure when to mark words as correct or incorrect?
toat - should be marked as incorrect. Likewise toats, oats, tost, toas are also marked as i
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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, a
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How many spelling words do you provide?
**The PLD word lists are flexible enough to be adapted to target any of the situations below. ** Keep in mind, that the exact number of **WEEKLY ** spelling list words depends upon whether you are a junior, middle or upper primary class. It also depends whether you are in a school with higher performing students or lower performing students or students with a significant range in ability. It also depends on whether students are progressing well and acquiring and mastering the skills presented,
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PLD's Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 Teaching Sequence Manual
PLD recommends schools utilise the Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 Screening & Tracking Manual to get started. Screening the students enables three targeted teaching groups to be established. Each of the targeted teaching groups require a period of repeated targeted instruction, based on their ability, as outlined in the [Phonic & Sight Word Seque
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How does the fourth edition of Phonic and Sight Word Sequence compare to previous editions?
The Phonic and Sight Word Sequence Fourth Edition resource was updated in November 2020. To check how this version differs from your current version: Go to the product page on the PLD website. Click on the 'Preview' button on the book cover to view the revised edition against your current version. Some schools are downloading the current testing which is all
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How many spelling groups? I have completed the placement test, but how do I create groups?
PLD have outlined a step-by-step process for creating targeted teaching groups along with an instructional video on each of the year level specific website pages. Click on the links below to request the Tracking Sheets, download the Screening & Tracking Manuals (with instructions) and watch the videos. Early Years - Kindergarten (WA/QLD/SA/TAS), Preschool (NSW/ACT/NT/VIC) [Foundation - Pre-Primary (WA), Kindergarten (NSW/A
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Interpreting the results from the PLD 'Early Reading Profile'
For an overview of PLD's screening and tracking process, go here: https://pld-literacy.org/establishing-a-consistent-screening-and-tracking-process/ The above reading profile can be downloaded form the web site: https://pld-literacy.org/product/early-reading-profile-foundation-year/ https://pld-literacy.org/product/early-reading-profile-year-1-and-2/ https://pld-literacy.org/product/how-do-the-pld-de
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A proportion of students tend to plateau on PM Benchmarks. What do you suggest?
The stagnation at a level or difficulty progressing through the PM Benchmark levels commonly occurs for two reasons. Below are the reasons are identified and also potential solutions are proposed. **Area 1: PHONICS, DECODING and WORD ATTACK SKILLS: **All students require explicit phonics instruction and reading material that su
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The PLD decodable reading books are working really well. Are there additional sets?
Decodable readers are really important for establishing early reading. Beginning readers progress more rapidly in their skills when provided with high quality reading material. For this reason, it is this age range that PLD has aimed to cater for with the PLD curated sets of reading books. The book sets have also aimed to provide ample sets of reading books, as there is an issue with many decodable sets, that the decodable reading sets progress too fast through the levels. Hence students may sta
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Spelling word colour-coding and choosing the correct sounding-out strategy.
Teachers are having difficulty on the colour-coding and which sounding-out startegy to use. I have given teachers spelling groups here to show you. It is a positive observation that teachers are unsure of what the sound structure in words. Why? It means that they are grappling with the change. Before teachers stand in front of their class and lead the lesson, they have reflected on this element. The research reports the same; that the majority of teachers will struggle with the phonemes an
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Why is it beneficial to integrate annual end of year standardised testing with the PLD process?
The success of any literacy program, should be supported by end of year standardised screening results. Rather than testing at the beginning and end of each school year, annual end of year screening is a recommended time efficient approach. Following a full year of literacy instruction, the majority of students should increase in their reading and spelling ability by at least 12 months. Step 1: Select a standardized reading and spelling assessment. When investigating time efficient and valid
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When do you start decodable reading books? How do you decide upon the levels?
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Can you clarify how to sound out (and colour code) these words?
I am thrilled to hear that this is being debated. I worry when schools are not asking these questions, because this usually means they are not doing enough of the auditory segmentation and blending. In terms of the words supplied: **falling **is made up of the phonemes f-all-i-ng and so the colour coding would be as follows f/all/i/ng jumped is made up of the sounds j-u-m-p-t and so the colour coding would be as follows j/u/m/p/ed ** needed** is made up of the phonemes n-ee-d-e-d and so
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Are the PLD phonic spelling lists available in a digital format or on-line?
Unfortunately we don’t provide the word lists in a digital or online format. The reason being that teacher discretion needs to come into the process of selecting the words. If English is not a first language, teachers may need to select words with the phonic pattern (or patterns) which consist of sim
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I have high (secondary) school students with very low literacy levels. Is PLD relevant?
**The only way forward to maximise functional literacy skills is to go b
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Students who are slow to progress through PLD’s stages 1 and 2. Do you have any suggestions?
Undoubtedly, stages 1 and 2 are the more complex stages to teach. Students often require much repetition and consolidation to embed their skills. Once into stage 3, typically students pick up skills faster but the challenge then is different, because word complexity and semantics emerges. Typically students in stages 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be able to read and spell words that they do not comprehend and are unable to apply into extended writing. Students who are slow to progress through stage 1:
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Early Reading Profiles and placing results onto tracking sheets
The PLD Early Reading Profiles can be accessed here to determine reading accuracy levels and also the automaticity level for reading the lists of increasingly complex words. Here is the screen for Early Reading Profile – Foundation Here is the screen for Early Reading Profile of Year 1 & 2 [How do the PLD decodable reading books link to the Ear
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Where to after decodable reading books? What next?
In terms of where to after decodables? As you know decodable reading books are recommended for the initial years of reading acquisition and should be phased out. There will always be students who require decodable reading material for a lengthier period of time, but typically they are only required for the short term, to quickly and efficiently establish early reading ability. After the initial years of reading acquisition you are looking for content rich reading material. At PLD we reco
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After Stage 3 words on the PLD Early Reading Profile, what are the appropriate methods of tracking reading?
Before I outline the options, keep in mind that by PLD's stage 3: A decoding and word recognition screen is less useful. The Early Reading Profile is a junior primary screen (or a screen for older students still operating at a junior primary level). Students in the junior primary must learn to 'crack the code' and verbalise the print by either reading aloud or silently 'inside their heads'. The ultimate goal of 'cracking the code' is so that comprehension of the content can occur. For some st
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Re-reading vs Continuous reading for fluency, what does the evidence say?
One of the most common questions we receive at PLD is _'Should students focus on a new book each day, or should students re-read the same book several times?’ _This is a great question and one where we will reference the research base to guide our response. Throughout this blog, we will explore what is the evidence-based practice for reading fluency in a Foundation to Year 2 setting. **Firstly, what is reading fluency? ** Reading fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and exp
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I have not taught Kindy/Kindergarten for many years. Can you provide me with a quick update?
I am very happy to help as the junior primary years of school have dramatically changed. The following relates to a current application of PLD in Kindergarten (WA QLD, SA & Tas) or Preschool (ACT, NT, NSW & Vic). . If you download the following implementation booklet and then refer to pages 5, 6 and 7. These pages specifically relate to this age group. https://pld-literacy.org/product/pld-whole-school-literacy-strategy/ The current screening that is outlined on page 5 in the above impleme
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We are running a 'Reading Workshop' for our parents so they can assist in their child's reading potential.
Tip 1: Recognise that oral language will very soon link to how the students process written language Students who have a large vocabulary and speak with adult like grammar typically progress into reading with much greater ease. Check that your child's speech and language skills are where they should be. Speaking and language skills sheets and videos: https://pld-literacy.org/product/speech-language-development-milestones-5-year-old/ Speech sound development: https://pld-literacy.org/pro
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Can I view sample pages of the books in the first reading book sets?
Yes, you can view the cover and two sample pages from each reading book in the set as a PDF download. Go to: https://pld-literacy.org/reading-book-sets-2/ and click on the image of the set you wish to preview. This will bring you to the product page. On the product page, hit the preview button on the product cover image to view sample pages. Notes Please also refer to the table within the [First Reading Books](https://pld-literac
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Can you help me understand the developmental milestones my child should be achieving?
We sure can! We have specific information and downloads available for each age range on our website. Choose your age range from the homepage and then select the ‘Downloads’ tabs to view and print any number of our milestone information sheets, or click on the links below: Early Years downloads Foundation downloads [Year 1 & 2 downloads](https://pld-li
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How does PLD focus on vocabulary within their product offering?
PLD has speech pathology created vocabulary programs for The Early Years and Foundation. To find these programs on our website, please enter the following codes in the search bar on our website or just click the links to be taken directly to the product listings: 10m4 10m5 Sem4 [Sem5](
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FAQ: I work with students with Autism. Do you have any suggestions for training and programs?
Typically we recommend starting with training first. Each course demonstrates and explains the PLD programs. Plus after completing the online courses you will receive a discount promo code to purchase any of the PLD programs that are relevant to the needs of your students. If some of the students are presenting with an inability to read, spell and write, my first suggestion is below. For some students with autism they can read/recognise some words (High Frequency Words) but are unable to spell
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How do I know if I am choosing the correct resources for my Year 1 class?
PLD believes in a very structured approach in order for children to acquire skills. Strong focus is put on scheduling the transition between emergent literacy skills and early literacy skills. Through PLD’s Implementation Process (what to introduce and when to introduce it), a comprehensive map for skill development forms the platform for further educational needs and demands. Presented are the essential skills for 4 and 5 y
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I need to work on my child's literacy skills (and particularly spelling/writing) at home. Where do I start?
Parents are often aware of when their child requires extra support within the home, to extend their performance in school. While PLD predominately works with teachers, to support their classroom programs, we do often some support the parents. The first step is to complete a spelling placement test which can be found on pages 10-16 in the 2020 Phonic & Sight Word Sequence. This will establish your child's current stage and iden
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What do we do when students are moving beyond stage 6 of the PLD programs?
If students are operating at high level stage 5 or stage 6, you will find that their spelling age exceeds 12 + years on a standardised spelling test. On one level this is wonderful as these students are clearly advanced spellers. On another level this produces challenges for the teachers who still need to cater for their needs and also integrate them into a class process. Usually these strong spellers, spell well (at a single word level) but so not transfer the words into their oral language a
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Can you help me understand the developmental milestones my child should be achieving??
Yes, we have specific information and downloads available for each age range on our website. Read more on our Blog: How do you know that your children are reaching their developmental milestones? Alternatively, from the PLD homepage: https://pld-literacy.org/ select your age range and then select the ‘Downloads’ tabs to view and print any number of our milesto
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Spelling rules. Where do they occur in PLD’s Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) program?
In the PLD process, the spelling rules are taught relative to what concepts are being instructed in-class. **Location 1: **If there is a spelling rule that is relevant to a phonic concept, it is outlined within the Phonic Sight Word Sequence lists. An example from the stage 4 section has been provided below: Location 2: Also contained
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What is the difference between the PLD Decodable Reading Books sets?
At PLD we recognise that a proportion of students require decodable reading material for longer than others. This group of students may have presented at school with speech and/or language delays or have a history of ear infections. Or they may have family members who have experienced literacy and learning difficulties (and hence present with a genetic predisposition to literacy difficulties). For these reasons, three additional reading book sets have been sourced. If students have read all o
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Can I request a quote for the decodable reading books?
Foundation/Prep/Pre-Primary/Reception/Transition home reading books: Semester one set? Yes/No Semester two set? Yes/No Home reading books in Year 1? Semester one set? Yes/No Semester two set? Yes/No Home reading books for delayed students in Year 1 and 2? Semester one set? Yes/No Semester two set? Yes/No
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Teaching the alphabet: The students with the PLD programs are quickly learning the alphabet sounds, but when are letter names taught?
A synthetic phonics approach to literacy instruction starts with teaching alphabet sounds, phonemic awareness, blending for decoding and segmenting for spelling. In this approach the letter names are not as important as the letter sounds, because it is the letter sounds that allow children to sound out and read words. Once a child has knowledge of the alphabet sounds and is using these to decode simple CVC words, they can then be introduced to letter names. With the introduction of digraphs (e
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The issue of reversals & capitals in spelling tests.
Letter reversals are a common occurrence in the first year of learning to spell and write. Within the 'Foundation' school year a proportion of letters will be reversed. For some students early in Year 1 the reversing of a proportion of letters may still continue. So what to do when they occur within a spelling test? I suggest that teachers marking the spelling samples, view the letter reversals as a phase that yo
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I am a parent and I have concerns about how PLD is being implemented in my child's class.
Parents may from time to time raise concerns about a school's implementation of PLD. At PLD we are not in a position to deal with these concerns directly. Success in each of PLD’s core areas of Literacy, Movement and Motor and Oral Language, involves three components: Professional Development, Programs, and Screening and Student Tracking. At PLD we consult directly to schools and are not in a position to provide direct parent support to issues raised. This is a matter that parents wi
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What end of Term 2 screening is to be scheduled?
present Subtest 2: Verbalisation of Initial Phonemes in the Early Years Pre-Literacy Screen.
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How do I buy and access the PLD downloadable desk strips?
To purchase PLD's desk strips please go to: https://pld-literacy.org/phonic-desk-strips-for-bushfire-relief/ In Term 1, 100% of the proceeds of every sale will go to bushfire relief through the Australian Red Cross. To purchase PLD's desk strips please go to: https://pld-literacy.org/phonic-desk-strips-for-bushfire-relief/ and select the desk strips you wish to purchase. Click on the 'READ MORE' button to view the product. Once you have the product open, click on 'Add to cart'. You
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I have 5 levels in my Year 1 class. Do you have any suggestions?
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What happens when there are several students who are operating at stages 3 or 4 in a Year 2 class?
Yes, select Stage 3 words ideally and if necessary over time Stage 4 words, however PLD also recommends the following. Look for non-basic vocabulary when selecting the words; e.g. ge in Stage 3: hinge, singe, tinge, cringe, plunge, rage (but ignoring all other low vocabulary words int he list) and using dg also from Stage 3; widget, midget, ledger. gadget, fidget, budget (even though the student can likely spell these words). Hence words are selected not for their phonic concepts, but on the
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How is the end of Term 2 screening plotted onto the PLD tracking sheets?
: Request the tracking sheets HERE. Step 2: Set up the tracking sheets, using instructions outlined HERE. Step 3: Individual teachers need to wat
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Phonic and Sight Word Sequence Charts - Your frequently asked questions
We spent some time looking at this when we did the latest update for the Phonic Sight Word Sequence. In short, it does depend on dialect. We based our choice on what we found most common Australian pronunciation. The words with the /l/ final are tricky as the /l/ tends to extend the vowel a little, but in saying that, they are shorter than in room or
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What happens when the correct spelling of test words does not transfer to writing?
Students often write words correctly in spelling tests but struggle when applying their new knowledge to written work. **Why? **As a general rule, when transferring spelling into writing, students require the activation of many more skills. explained simply, single word spelling is quite a simple cognitive task in comparison to extended writing tasks. Dictation tasks encourage the development of strong listening and auditory memory skills which are important for learning and literacy. Dictation
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How do schools introduce PLD's whole school screening in Term 3 (or within semester 2)?
Register for the PLD tracking sheets: https://pld-literacy.org/plds-tracking-sheets/ View the video at the top of the page, to set up the sheets for each class on a different tab. https://pld-literacy.org/establishing-a-consistent-screening-and-tracking-process/ All teaching staff will need to view from 4:45 to explain the 3 functions that teachers will need to under
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What is the purpose of the 'Early Literacy Screening Tool' and how does it differ to other screens found in PLD's WSLP?
The Early Year Pre-Literacy Screening Tool, located in the Early Years Screening & Tracking Manual, is a screen that was used extensively within the PLD clinic. It is useful when profiling individual students and also particularly useful when seeking a detailed profile when students are not progressing at the rate of their peers. The single word reading section is similar to the [Early Reading Profile – Year 1 and 2](
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In Stage 1, should we place less emphasis on groups of words with initial and final blends?
Over recent years PLD has aimed as much as possible to be aligned with SSP - structured synthetic phonics, because it is linked to the most current evidence base and is aligned to produce superior results. SSP is linked to phonemes or individual sounds. The blends (eg st, cr, bl, mp, nt etc) do not exist in SSP but rather are linked to traditional phonics. In traditional phonics students complete repeated practice with st, then br/fr/sl/sm etc. According to SSP we should present students with
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I have a student who still struggles with onset and rime. How can I help?
While other students also would have initially experienced the same difficulty, due to your teaching the skill has developed. Now you are left with just one student. This can happen in every class, that a very complicated profile can appear. I suggest the following: Make sure that the Term 2 skill (the isolation and verbalisation of initial sounds) is solid. If this skill is 'wobbly' and difficult, even though the student may have scored 60/80 or 100% then here is the issue. I always look
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Why does PLD advocate for three ability groups instead of four or five?
The Phonic Sight Word Sequence Placement Test presented each term requires the students to be placed into ability groups (and hence, targeted teaching groups). Teachers frequently ask, why does PLD advocate for only 3 groups, and not 5 or 6? On the basis of the placement tests, students are then placed onto tracking sheets;
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Do we need to use the updated tracking sheets? Why shouldn't we re-use last years?
As a general rule, at PLD we recommend that you always update your tracking sheets annually. For this reason, each year you will automatically be sent an updated version. The 2020 tracking sheets link perfectly with the updated 2020 Whole School Literacy Plan This year's sheets also have videos explaining their use and their effective implementation, find then [HERE](https://pld-literacy.org/establishing-a-consistent-s
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We have used the previous pre-literacy screen and I'm just curious why the screen has been updated?
We have used the previous pre-literacy screen and I'm just curious why the screen has been updated? Yes, there have been updates to the Early Years Pre-Literacy Screen, available in the Early Years Screening & Tracking Manual, which is linked to the Early Years Teaching Sequence Manual. The screen presents very short 1-minute subtests.
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Help! Students decoding and spelling at different levels?
Typically from mid Year 1 (and sometimes earlier) students will start to extend their reading but their spelling lags. Hence, the students can read more advanced phonic concepts than they are able to apply to their spelling. This is the slightly more frustrating
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I am familiar with THRASS. Does PLD have similar charts?
Many years ago I was also THRASS trainined. Yes, THRASS has its benefits, but it is not identified as an evidence-based program. Here is the list compiled by the SPELD's around Australia: https://uldforparents.com/further-reading/appendix-4-examples-of-high-quality-evidence-based-phonics-programs/ When schools have invested (like yours) in a whole school approach, it is not possible to select your own preference. Whole school programs and processes have been researched, invested in and establi
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I have entered the testing onto tracking sheets. Can I get feedback on my class data?
Thank you for either requesting feedback from your testing or for requesting assistance. **Step 1: **Request the PLD tracking sheets: https://pld-literacy.org/plds-tracking-sheets/ Step 2: View to insert the percentage scores for your last round of testing into the tracking sheets. Refer to th
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Requests to review a school's PLD tracking sheets. What steps are required?
As you can imagine, many schools request this support. It is imperative that we receive school tracking sheets that have been sufficiently prepared along with clear instructions on what is being requested. Below is a checklist, that we request that you have a lo
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PLD Upgrading Books to Newer Editions
At PLD we follow international research and update our offering to schools accordingly. As a publisher, PLD aims to translate the evidence-base into classroom programs. The literature base in the area of literacy is never fixed. Research is constantly reviewing and outlining what is effective and likely to produce more significant gains. Through PLD’s strong ties with schools, we are aware of how the PLD programs are being implemented. The feedback on implementation
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Long vowels and how to colour code and use Elkonin Boxes?
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Do PLD programs link to the Australian National Curriculum?
PLD's programs link to the ACARA National Curriculum year level content descriptions from the sub-strands of: Interacting with others. Interpreting, analysing & evaluating. Creating texts. Phonics & word knowledge. Download the guide HERE.  skills to be profiled. No, I wouldn't necessarily suggest progressing back to a PLD 'Early Years' fo
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Can you assist with grouping my class for Term 2 using the PLD Placement Tests and the Tracking Sheets?
Step 1: Is to hide the data you do not need for
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Early Years: Screening Syllablification (syllables) can you clarify?
Just a few quick questions about Subtest 1 results that I have observed, if you could please comment on the points below: Some students are pronouncing the word 'Octopus' as Optopus however they have
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