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Sound Waves Literacy: A Key Element in Cooloola Christian College’s Outstanding NAPLAN Success

Sound Waves Literacy 9/12/24

When outstanding NAPLAN results rolled in to Cooloola Christian College, the school took it as proof they were on the right track using Sound Waves Literacy. Beyond improved student outcomes, Cooloola has reaped multiple benefits from the program. The quality resources, consistency and access to professional learning also tick the boxes for this school.

We caught up with Lauren Deagon, Primary Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Cooloola Christian College, to find out more about how Sound Waves Literacy is helping students achieve success.

Excellent NAPLAN results

In 2023, Cooloola Christian College’s exceptional NAPLAN results indicated students were performing well above average when compared to other schools with students of similar socio-economic backgrounds. Lauren believes their literacy results are driven by the Sound Waves program and its focused phonics lessons.

Cooloola Christian College’s 2023 NAPLAN results.

Equipped with quality resources

The Queensland school is fully resourced and uses the online teaching resources, Student Books, Decodable Readers and charts. Reflecting on the quality and impact the Sound Waves resources have had on the school, Lauren says the resources are ‘highly scaffolded’ and ‘cater for different learners’. The level of student engagement is also a plus for Lauren, with the added bonus of the resources being ‘extremely easy to integrate into our teaching’.

Considering the importance of student engagement in achieving learning outcomes, we asked Lauren which specific components of Sound Waves lessons are most successful for fostering active learning. She believes the ‘powerful segmenting tool’, ‘interactive games’ and ‘multi-modal aspects’ all play key roles.

Consistent approach to teaching literacy

When discussing the benefits of a whole-school approach for Cooloola, Lauren notes ‘Sound Waves lessons are consistent throughout the year levels’. Ultimately this means ‘teachers require less preparation’ Lauren says, as everyone is on the same page and familiar with the resources.

Likewise, consistency means all teachers are able to participate in professional learning workshops. This has a direct impact on their ability to share best practices and exchange teaching ideas.

Opportunity to improve through professional development

Continuous professional development not only strengthens a program’s implementation, it is also especially valuable for new teachers. Cooloola Christian College has engaged in regular professional learning workshops since implementing Sound Waves Literacy. The school’s recent results exemplify how equipping teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge can contribute to the overall success of Sound Waves and students’ literacy outcomes.

On top of enjoying great NAPLAN results, quality resources, a whole-school approach and ongoing support, Lauren says parents are happy too. ‘Prep parents love it … they love that their kids are learning to read and write and the progress they are making,’ Lauren shares.

With all this in mind, it is safe to say the entire Cooloola community – teachers, students and parents – recognise the role Sound Waves Literacy plays in improving student outcomes and are looking forward to continued success in future NAPLAN results.

If you’re interested in Sound Waves Literacy, head to our website to sign up for a free trial, book a free professional learning workshop for your school or contact your local education consultant.

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