The Fremantle LDC Outreach Service offers schools a range of capacity building services to support their capabilities to implement best practice in oral language and early literacy instruction to students in years K-2 with speech and language difficulties. Schools identified as priority are eligible for higher intensity services.
Consultations
Individual School Consultation: Schools can request assistance with needs analysis and whole school planning related to language development and incorporating and linking speech and language knowledge into the curriculum.
Initiatives
The Language Leadership Schools Initiative
Participants will be provided with professional learning and individualised support to undertake the role of a ‘Language Leader’ within their school. This support will allow them to gain experience regarding speech and language knowledge and evidence based classroom practice, as they simultaneously build the capacity of their school.
- Session One: Launching Language Leaders – Moving from oral language to literacy
- Session Two: Language Essentials for Literacy – Grammar and Vocabulary
- Session Three: Unlocking the Code – The progression from phonological awareness to phonics
- Session Four: Understanding What’s Said Before Read – Oral to reading comprehension
- Session Five: Making Words Work – Oral to written text
Intensive Oral Language Programs
‘Words, Grammar and Fun’ is a language program targeting early oral language development in the areas of semantics and grammar. School staff members are provided with professional learning, resources and support to conduct targeted small group rotational language sessions. Ongoing modelling and support is provided for the duration of the program.
‘Cracking the Code’ is a language program that targets pre-literacy development in the areas of phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge. School staff members are provided with professional learning, resources and support to conduct targeted small group rotational language sessions. Ongoing modelling and support is provided for the duration of the program.
Work Shadowing
Teachers and Education Assistants can access work shadowing opportunities at the Fremantle LDC. This provides the opportunity to observe strategies and pedagogy in practice; and includes time to liaise with specialised teachers discussing the explicit teaching of oral language.
Please complete the request form and return to jodie.shepherdson@education.wa.edu.au.
Professional Learning
Professional learning is offered at a regional level and can also be requested at a school or network level. Some of our professional learning options are outlined below.
Speech and Language Series
This series has been designed for teachers and education assistants with an interest in speech and language, and who are looking for practical strategies to encourage development in these areas. The series consists of eight modules which are listed below.
- Introduction to Speech & Language
- Comprehension
- Semantics
- Grammar
- Oral Text
- Pragmatics
- Phonological Awareness
Education Assistant Professional Learning Options
The Fremantle LDC Outreach Service provides a range of professional learning options for EA’s and AIEO’s.
- An Introduction to Speech and Language
- Foundations of Literacy for Education Assistants
Pathway to Spelling Success
This workshop has been designed to provide an evidence based approach to the systematic teaching of:
- Phonological Awareness
- Alphabet Knowledge
- Concepts of Print
- Phonics
- Spelling
The Keys to Unlocking Reading Comprehension
This workshop has been designed to provide an evidence based approach to the systematic teaching of reading comprehension. The session covers the five pillars of reading;
- Vocabulary
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonics
- Reading Fluency
- Comprehension
Integrating Play and Oral Language in the Kindy and Pre Primary Classrooms
This workshop has been designed to provide an evidence based approach to teaching oral language through play-based learning. The session teaches the following language areas in the context of play;
- Vocabulary
- Oral Comprehension
- Grammar
- Oral Narrative
- Social Skills
- Phonological Awareness
- Alphabet Knowledge
Speech Language and Early Literacy for Graduate Teachers
Participants will gain a strong foundation of knowledge in which to inform a whole school approach to explicitly and systematically teaching oral language and pre-literacy skills. They will also be provided with evidence-based knowledge and resources to help them support children within the classroom who may be experiencing speech, language or pre-literacy difficulties. The session teaches the following key areas;
- Vocabulary
- Oral Comprehension
- Grammar
- Phonological Awareness
- Alphabet Knowledge
- Early Phonics
Supporting Low Progress Readers
This two-part workshop has been designed to provide an evidence based approach to teaching students who are making slow or low progress with reading. The first session provides information and strategies to teach the foundation skills required to read accurately and fluently, whilst the second session provides information and strategies on how to teach the foundation skills necessary to support their reading comprehension. The areas covered throughout the sessions include:
- Vocabulary
- Oral and Text Comprehension
- Grammar
- Phonological Awareness
- Alphabet Knowledge
- Early phonics
- Reading Fluency
- Assessment Analysis and Goal Setting
At the beginning of each semester, regional-level dates are set for these professional learning sessions. School leaders are then sent details of the scheduled professional learning sessions via email. If you would like to be notified of upcoming professional learning sessions, please join the Fremantle Language Development Centre – Professional Learning Opportunities Connect Community
Registrations for all events will be completed through PLIS: click here for further details
In addition to the scheduled regional sessions, schools may also request school or network-level professional learning by contacting fremantleldc.speechandlanguage@education.wa.edu.au