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The 5 Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction - Part 5
Pillar 5: The Writing Cycle The Teacher's Toolkit for Literacy Podcast — 2026 Series When two experienced Year 6 teachers from Western Australia sat down to reflect on how their students approached writing, they noticed something uncomfortable: most children believed that writing was a one-way journey. Plan, draft, fix a...
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The 5 Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction - Part 4
Pillar 3: Mastery Through High-Impact Writing Instruction The Teacher's Toolkit for Literacy Podcast — 2026 Series When teachers De and Danielle sit down to plan their Year 5/6 writing programme, they are not simply thinking about what to teach. They are thinking about how to take every student further —...
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The 5 Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction - Part 3
Pillar 3: Independence in Learning The Teacher's Toolkit for Literacy Podcast — 2026 Series There is a widespread assumption in education that structure and creativity pull against each other — that the more you scaffold a student's writing, the less room there is for genuine expression. Episode 153 of Teacher's...
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The 5 Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction - Part 2
Pillar 2: Every Student Can Produce Quality Writing The Teacher's Toolkit for Literacy Podcast — 2026 Series What separates a classroom where children merely complete writing tasks from one where they genuinely see themselves as writers? In the second episode of their 2026 series, Phil and Sharon return to Fairview...
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The 5 Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction - Part 1
Pillar 1: Purposeful Planning The Teacher's Toolkit for Literacy Podcast — 2026 Series When two Year 6 teachers at a small regional school in Collie, Western Australia sat down to name what made their writing instruction work, they started where they always start: with planning. Danielle Monique and De Ludlum...
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Part 6: Celebrating Growth in Literacy
Team Teaching Success at Mt Barker South Primary School What happens when two passionate Year 5/6 teachers join forces to create a truly integrated literacy programme? At Mt Barker South Primary School in South Australia, Renee Saldhana and Ra Te Whare have discovered the transformative power of collaborative teaching that...
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Building Literacy Foundations: Essential Strategies for the Modern Classroom
Transformative approaches for creating vibrant literacy environments that empower students and foster lifelong learning habits As teachers, we understand the importance of setting the tone for a productive, inspiring school year. Creating a literacy-rich environment isn't just about the aesthetics of your classroom—it's about equipping students with the strategies and...
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Mastering NAPLAN: The Authentic Way
As educators, we often grapple with the challenge of preparing students for standardised tests while maintaining authentic teaching practices. Sharon Callen's insights on NAPLAN preparation offer a refreshing perspective that aligns test readiness with excellent teaching practices. Here's how we can transform NAPLAN preparation from a source of stress to...
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Part 2: Celebrating Growth in Literacy
Starting a Literacy Journey: Jess Kneebone and Sharon Callen Reflect on Growth in Literacy Teaching Five years ago, a young teacher named Jess Kneebone began her teaching career fresh out of university. It was during her first year at Mount Barker South Primary School in Adelaide that she joined an...
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Part 2: The Essential Classroom Setup in 2025
By Sharon Callen As teachers, we constantly seek ways to improve the learning environment for our students, making literacy engaging and effective. This blog, inspired by my latest podcast episode, brings together ideas to set up your classroom for success in 2025. Whether you're a seasoned teacher or just starting...
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Part 1: The Essential Classroom Setup in 2025
By Sharon Callen As teachers, we understand the importance of setting the tone for a productive, inspiring school year. Creating a literacy-rich environment isn't just about the aesthetics of your classroom—it's about equipping students with the strategies/ tools they need to explore, create, and grow. In this blog, I'll introduce...
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Part 2: Teachers Celebrating Their Students’ Writing
Celebrating Student Writing: A Guide for Teachers In the world of education, few moments are as rewarding as witnessing the growth of young writers. By fostering a classroom environment that celebrates students' writing in Foundation, teachers can ignite a lifelong love for reading and writing. This guide delves into effective...
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Part 1: Teachers Celebrating Their Students' Writing
Celebrating Student Writing: Fostering a Community of Young Authors at Mount Barker South Primary School In an inspiring conversation, Tamara Biddle, a Foundation year teacher, and Hayley Allen, a student support officer (SSO) from Mount Barker South Primary School, shared their journey of nurturing a vibrant writing culture in their...
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Unlocking the Joy of Writing: Insights from Sharon Callen's Podcast
In a captivating podcast episode New Writing Units Uncovered, Part 2 with Sharon Callen, educators are invited into an enriching dialogue on nurturing students' writing skills with joy and purpose. Delving into the second part of their discussion on new writing units, Sharon shares invaluable insights and strategies for crafting...
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How to Teach Early Writers
HOW TO TEACH EARLY WRITERS Follow these top tips from conversations with an early years teacher and experienced literacy consultant. Focus on Interests: Engage students by tapping into their interests and passions, encouraging them to write about topics they care about. Create Opportunities for Sharing: Foster a culture of sharing...
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New 'Imaginative Texts' Writing Units
Try our new Writing Units, Yr F-6, (PDFs) for teachers. EMPLOY THE 'READING LIKE A WRITER' PROCESS ...where students see how authors craft their stories. Then students have a few short attempts at honing the technique before going on to their extended writing. MODEL 'GOOD WRITER' MINI LESSONS For example...
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Getting Started with the Writing Workshop - Mini Lessons for Year 3 to 6
Introducing "Getting Started with the Writing Workshop - Mini Lessons for Year 3 to 6" YOUR GO-TO GUIDE FOR AN AMAZING WRITING JOURNEY What's Inside: Perfect tips for kicking off your Writing Workshop in the crucial first weeks. Create a buzzing Writer's Notebook: a personal space for ideas and drafts....
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Podcast Ep 102: Part 2: Teaching Early Writers: from Program to Professional Plan
LATEST PODCAST, Ep 102, Part 2: In this second part of the podcast, Sharon and team delve into various strategies for nurturing writing skills in Foundation year students. One key concept introduced is the use of "sentence stems." These stems provide young children with simple sentence starters, helping them initiate...
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Podcast Ep 101: Part 1: Teaching Early Writers: from Program to Professional Plan
LATEST PODCAST, Ep 101, Part 1: In this podcast, expert literacy consultant, Sharon Callen and team welcome special guest Grace Cullen, a Foundation/ Reception teacher at Littlehampton Primary School. They discuss the challenges and strategies for teaching early writing to young students. Grace shares her experience transitioning from a structured...
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Podcast Ep 100, Part 2: Engaging Readers AND Writers through Book Club
LATEST PODCAST, Ep 100: In part 2 of our podcast, Dr. Jan Turbill continues the discussion on engaging approaches to the teaching of writing through book clubs. She emphasises the importance of teaching writing by allowing students to read like writers and connect with authors. Dr. Turbill recalls her own...
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Podcast Ep 99, Part 1: Engaging Readers AND Writers through Book Club
LATEST PODCAST Ep 99: In this episode, we welcome special guest Dr. Jan Turbill. Jan is an accomplished educator, who talks about her post-retirement involvement with a NSW school, where she worked for 10 years to improve literacy skills in students, particularly in Years 4,5 and 6. She describes how...
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Podcast Ep 94, Part 2: Good Writers Revise and Edit Their Writing
In this podcast, Ep 94, Part 2: Good Writers Revise and Edit Their Writing', join Sharon Callen and her dynamic team whilst they continue on a riveting exploration, this time discussing the 'Magnificent Seven' revising strategies, spanning rereading, editing, and reorganisation. Discover the power of Prompt Posters and Anchor Charts...
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Podcast Ep 93, Part 1: Good Writers Revise and Edit Their Writing
LATEST PODCAST Ep 93, In this podcast, join Sharon Callen and her dynamic team in 'Part 1: Good Writers Revise and Edit Their Writing' for a captivating exploration of effective writing instruction. Delve into the art of topic selection, cognitive load relief for teachers, and the potency of routines. Experience...
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Revising and Editing Our Writing - Anchor Charts,
NEW RESOURCE: This explicit teaching resource, Revising and Editing Our Writing - Anchor Charts, will support you and your students to revise, improve theor writing. See the 'How to Use' section below. How To Make Print as A3 Add A3 card for back cover Staple left side to create your...
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The Four W's of Being a Writer
LATEST BLOG: Literacy expert Sharon Callen delves into the four foundational elements of being a writer, to underpin a teacher's literacy strategy. On Episode 81 of The Teacher's Toolkit for Literacy, Sharon explained the four Ws of being a writer, which teachers need to consider and plan for before anything...
