The Science of Reading lives here!

One very important skill our children need to learn during their time with us at UPPS is the ability to read. Our brains don’t naturally learn to read in the same way we learn to walk, talk and listen. As babies, our children can hear our voices and begin to interpret what we are saying, regardless of language, and by about the age of 2 years old, begin to converse with us. The brain is not wired to do this with reading. Our teaching practice reflects the 40 years of scientific research that has gone into studying how the brain learns. We no longer teach a reading and writing block, rather than integrating it all together.

Strong phonological awareness skills are the single biggest predictor of reading success.  It includes recognising phonological patterns such as rhyme and alliteration, awareness of syllables and phonemes within words and hearing multiple phonemes within words. At UPPS, we have implemented a phonological awareness program called Heggerty.  This is a daily routine for our students which takes place at the beginning of our literacy lessons.