English as an Additional Language
The students at Strathaird Primary come from diverse cultural backgrounds, which includes a high percentage of English as an Additional Language (EAL) students.
The EAL program supports students from Prep to Year 6 who speak a language other than English at home and newly arrived students who are attending school in Australia for the first time. The school has a specialist EAL Teacher and two Dari/Hazaraghi speaking Multicultural Education Aides (MEAs) who support parent communication within the school.
Students attend a one hour EAL session, out of the classroom, several times a week in a small group for their particular needs. New Arrivals receive additional 1:1 support sessions and MEA assistance when needed. This provides students with multiple opportunities to practice their emerging English and to gain confidence using their oral language in a supportive environment.
In the Junior year levels, students learn the simple English needed to participate in the classroom by following a topic-based curriculum that focuses on vocabulary building, Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. In the Senior year levels, students work more intensively on grammar, expanding their vocabulary and overall literacy skills.
