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PLD’s structured synthetic phonics program is a recommended
AUSPELD Wave 1 (whole class) and Wave 2 (small group)
additional intervention program.
Parent
Education
Children benefit when home
and school work together.
PLD offers an extensive range of parent education resources.
Our download sheets provide milestone information and the
specific YouTube playlist provides a range of short
educational video clips. This information can be
disseminated to parents and the wider community through
newsletters, websites and general communication.
High performing primary schools:
What do they have in common?
Professor William Louden (2015)
Research commissioned by the Education Department of WA, explored the similarities and
differences among high performing West Australian Government primary schools.
All of the schools used explicit teaching strategies for teaching phonological awareness
and phonics. Common across all schools was a synthetic phonics approach. The following
is a direct quote from the research paper.
“Synthetic phonics is a systematic approach to teaching reading by beginning
with sounds (phonemes) and blending (synthesising) these sounds to make
words. All of the case study schools have implemented synthetic phonics
programs in the early years... PLD Literacy and Learning .... teach[es] phonemes
(letter and digraph sounds), letter formation, blending of sounds together to
form new words, segmenting sounds in read and write new words, and teaching
‘tricky words’ with irregular spelling.” (Page 20-21)
To read the full research paper go to
Children shouldprogress through the following
Stages 1 to4 inorder todevelopgoodcutting skills.
Stage 1
Children learn tohold scissorsappropriatelyand to
openandclose scissors.
Children learn to place their thumb in the top ring of the
scissorsand their twoor three fingers in thebottom ring.
At thisearly stage it is recommended thatadultspromptchil-
dren to produce the ‘thumbs up’ sign before taking hold of
the scissors. If students requiremuscle strengthening or hand
coordinationpractice,playagameof “Open Shut Them!”
Stage 2
Children learn toholdand snippaper.
Children learn to hold the paper in their non-cutting hand
and toopen the scissors,push theblade forwardand shut the
scissors resulting in snips topaper.
Remember ‘ThumpsUp’. ToMake Snips...
“Open the scissors.”
“Push theblades forward.”
“Shut the scissors.”
ANoteAboutDominance
Research suggests that the majority of children show a
dominant preference by 3 years and most by school age,
however some actually establish dominance as late as 8 or
9 yearsold. Making apreference is importantas itallows the
child todevelop skillandendurancewith thathand.
Ifachild has not yetmadeapreference, it is suggested that
thechildbeencouraged toparticipate inactivities:
• that involvecrossing themidline,
• thatusebothhands together,
• wherebothareactiveand
• whereonehanddoes theworkand theotheroneassists.
Don’t try to choose the dominant hand but observe which
hand is used themost often or ismore skilful. Itmay also be
helpful to refer the child toanOccupational Therapist foran
assessment,prior tocommencing yearone.
Developing Cutting Skills
Key Area: Movement and Motor Skills
PLDOrganisationPty. Ltd.
Page1of2
DevelopmentalNorms
ForChildren Learning ToCut
With Scissors
Atage2 - 2½years...
Child isable toopenand shut scissorswith
twohands.
DevelopmentalNorm
Atage2½ - 3years...
Child isable to snippaper.Childholds
scissors inonehand (dominanthand isnot
likelyestablishedat this stage). Thepaper
maybeheldbyanadult.
Twoor three fingers
in thebottom ring
of the scissors.
Thumb in the top ring
of the scissors.
‘ThumbsUp’
Promptchildren to
produce the
‘thumbsup’ sign
before takinghold
of the scissors.
Theadultmayhold
thepaper ifneeded.
Thumb
in the
top ring.
Thumbup
onpaper.
Independent
Research
Recommended
SSP Program
Option 1 Milestone sheets and downloads at
Option 2 Foundation parent education playlist at