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CARS & STARS: Alignment with ACARA Reading Comprehension Standards

CARS & STARS: Alignment with ACARA Reading Comprehension Standards

This blog discusses the CARS & STARS program’s alignment with ACARA’s reading comprehension standards. It highlights how the program uses diagnostic assessments and targeted instruction to map 12 core reading strategies to specific ACARA outcomes. The approach allows educators to effectively pinpoint and nurture students’ reading strengths and weaknesses, ensuring tailored and data-driven instruction that aligns with national educational standards. Click the link below to learn how CARS & STARS program’s alignment with ACARA’s reading comprehension standards.

Unveiling Reading Strategies: A Milestone in Literacy Education

Unveiling Reading Strategies: A Milestone in Literacy Education

Explore the transformative journey of literacy education with our latest blog. Uncover how reading comprehension strategies reshaped teaching and empowered students globally. From Reader-Response Theory to modern educational practices, discover the pivotal role of these strategies in classrooms. Interested in how these techniques enhance learning and foster engagement? Click the link below and discover the impact of these innovative strategies in education today.

Enhancing Reading Comprehension with CARS & STARS Through Explicit Instruction: A Guide for Australian Teachers

Enhancing Reading Comprehension with CARS & STARS Through Explicit Instruction: A Guide for Australian Teachers

Discover the secret to unlocking your students' reading potential! Dive into our latest blog post to explore how explicit instruction with the CARS & STARS program can transform reading comprehension in your classroom. Learn about the systematic approach that demystifies learning and provides tailored strategies for every reader. Ready to foster a culture of reading success? Click the link below about this game-changing framework for educators.

The Role of Technology in Modern Education

The Role of Technology in Modern Education

Technology in education can serve as a catalyst for innovation, personalisation and accessibility. To find out how CARS & STARS Online, as an advanced online reading comprehension program, aligns with these goals, click the link below. 

24 Strategies for Effective Classroom Management

24 Strategies for Effective Classroom Management

Effective classroom management aims to create a supportive and structured learning environment where both you and your students can thrive. Click the link below for 24 great and easy strategies to help you establish a positive and productive classroom atmosphere that benefits everyone. 

Getting Better at Reading Poetry

Getting Better at Reading Poetry

With the right strategies and a bit of practice, students can significantly improve their comprehension and appreciation of poetry. To find out more, and how CARS & STARS Online can help students to better understand the kind of figurative language used in poetry, click the link below.

Reading Different Types of Texts

Reading Different Types of Texts

Reading a variety of text types is essential for developing better reading comprehension for several reasons. To find out more, and how CARS & STARS Online exposes students to different types of texts from its earliest levels, click the link below.

The Importance of a Tidy Desk

The Importance of a Tidy Desk

Maintaining an organised workspace is a simple yet effective way to create a conducive environment for teaching, learning and personal development. To find out more, and how CARS & STARS Online can help, click the link below. 

What Do Distracting Environments Do to Your Brain (and Learning?)

What Do Distracting Environments Do to Your Brain (and Learning?)

One way that you can counter distractions is by using strategies that enable students to process information better, even under adverse conditions, because they have a proven method in place to do so. To find out more, and how CARS and STARS Online employs this approach, click the link below.

How Exposure to Many Genres Makes Better Readers

How Exposure to Many Genres Makes Better Readers

Encouraging students to explore a diverse range of genres can be a powerful tool in fostering a love for learning and literature. To explore some of its benefits, and to see how CARS & STARS Online can help, click the link below.

The Importance of Critical Thinking

The Importance of Critical Thinking

Students learning critical thinking can develop the ability to distinguish between what's logical and illogical through a combination of practice, understanding logical fallacies and employing specific strategies. For some ways they can improve their skills, click the link below.

How You Talk (And What It Says About You)

How You Talk (And What It Says About You)

The way we talk, including our speech patterns, accents and word choices, can create and deepen social biases, starting from the point of view of children. For some examples of how speech can contribute to the development of biases in children, and how these can hopefully be mitigated, click the link below.

How Does a Stimulating Classroom Help a Class?

How Does a Stimulating Classroom Help a Class?

In a classroom setting, stimuli refer to the various sensory inputs and learning materials that students encounter every day. To find out more about how classroom stimuli can relate to cognitive development, click the link below.

Thinking Games and Cognitive Flexibility

Thinking Games and Cognitive Flexibility

Cognitive flexibility (or cognitive shifting) refers to the ability to adapt and switch between different cognitive tasks in response to changing situations or demands. To find out how thinking games can be valuable tools for improving cognitive flexibility, click the link below.

What exactly is concentration – and how can I improve mine?

What exactly is concentration – and how can I improve mine?

Concentration is the ability to direct our attention and focus to a specific task or stimulus while ignoring distractions. To find out some reasons why people might find it hard to focus or maintain concentration, and some helpful strategies to improve concentration, click the link below.

Getting into the “Flow”

Getting into the “Flow”

A flow state, also known as being “in the zone”, refers to a mental state of optimal performance and engagement in an activity. It typically occurs when the challenges of a task align with an individual's skill level. To find out more about flow states, and some tips for reaching them, click the link below.

What does lack of sleep do to the body and how does it affect study?

What does lack of sleep do to the body and how does it affect study?

We all know how important sleep is, and most of us know that because we aren’t getting as much of it as we would like – or at least in the quality we would prefer. Lack of sleep, especially on a chronic basis, can have significant negative effects on both the body and the academic performance of students. For some key impacts of sleep deprivation, click the link below.

The importance of sunlight in education – and study spaces

The importance of sunlight in education – and study spaces

The role of the natural environment in learning in general and study spaces in particular is something we are only just beginning to investigate seriously. But we know that sunlight especially can play an important role in a classroom or study setting for several reasons. To find out what they are, click the link below!

Quiet versus noisy places to study: which are better? You might be surprised!

Quiet versus noisy places to study: which are better? You might be surprised!

It might some like a no-brainer, but there are advantages to both quiet and loud study environments while learning. Whether you like one or the other can depend on nothing more than your personal preference or learning style, but there are advantages and disadvantages to both. The choice between studying in quiet spaces or noisy places depends on individual preferences and the nature of the task at hand. To find out some considerations for both options, click the link below.

You are what you eat. So what foods are best for thinking and studying?

You are what you eat. So what foods are best for thinking and studying?

Everyone knows how important diet and exercise are to every aspect of our lives – even if we like to pretend we don’t sometimes. It turns out food is just as vital to our brain’s well-being too. When it comes to supporting cognitive function and promoting optimal brain health, several foods have been associated with positive effects. Click the link below for some examples!

A COMPLETE FAMILY OF PRODUCTS

Discover how CARS & STARS Online’s integrated teaching and learning system gives teachers the insights and instructional tools to differentiate and support student growth.

CARS

CARS

Get the data you need to drive instruction and measure progress.

STARS

STARS

Target instruction on the essential reading comprehension strategies.

FOCUS Reading

FOCUS Reading

Concentrated practice to reinforce essential reading strategies.

WHAT PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS ARE SAYING

This differentiated program allows students to read texts which are at a level suitable for their current ability and leads to students being more engaged in reading lessons. As a result, they can experience success and improve their reading and comprehension abilities. CARS & STARS Online is an important part of the English program and we are seeing fantastic improvement across all years in students' reading and comprehension abilities.

Linda Samardali
Head of Department from Kinross College

I've found CARS & STARS Online has really helped in improving my children's reading skills. The skills were all clearly presented with a lot of samples and practice opportunities. The student report also gives the parents a clear guide as to which areas need reinforcement and which areas each child is strong in.

Shannon Zhao
Parent from Sydney

I have found CARS & STARS Online very beneficial, especially during our time teaching and learning remotely. The ability to track live what the students are doing was helpful to ensure that they were remaining on task and to provide feedback.

Brent Ritchie
Teacher from Haileybury

Now that I understand how to use the online program and utilise the tools correctly, I am enjoying using CARS & STARS Online. The ability to locate and download the different reports is phenomenal!

Amber Rains
Teacher from Kambala

I am a bit of a technophobe but using CARS & STARS Online has certainly made life easier and the kids have found it easy to navigate.

Jo Oram
Teacher from Prescott College Southern

CARS & STARS Online has become a very useful tool for my staff to implement effective teaching and learning programs. Having a tool that gives timely assessment results, meets students at their level of need and allows them to see exactly what students are working on in real-time is time effective and impacts on future goals.

The detailed assessment data generated by CARS & STARS Online informs the specific direction of their reading and comprehension teaching. Students report they enjoy the tasks and feel a real sense of accomplishment as they work through the lessons and assessments at their own pace.

Craig Brown
Principal from Toongabbie Public School

REFER YOUR SCHOOL TO CARS & STARS ONLINE

Do you like what you’ve seen and want to share it with your teachers and principals? Use the Refer Now button to send them an information pack containing the benefits of CARS & STARS Online (which include Australian Curriculum 9.0 teaching resources), supporting research, professional development information, pricing and available plans with just one click.

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