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News in briefHolmen Courier, WI - 13 minutes agoAccording to a 2007 survey, 57 percent of county jail inmates had not completed high school, and 33 percent had serious literacy deficiencies. ... |
Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:48:54 GMT
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Read
Australia Founder
Emma
Hartnell-Baker
Advice and Information
is offered by Emma
Hartnell-Baker who has a
BEd
Hons with a Specialism in The Early Years (1992) and Post Graduate qualifications
in Behaviour Management, Personal, Social and Emotional
Development, Counselling and Helping People and Dyslexia.
She has a Masters Degree
in Special Educational Needs from Nottingham University and
is a Professional Life Coach.
Emma discovered Phono-Graphix during her MA and
is now a Certified
PG Therapist.
Emma does not offer
PG courses or
training however - visit ReadAmerica.net
for a list of therapists
near you
Excellent Web SIte
- Promoting Synthetic Phonics
The Reading
Reform Foundation
http://rrf.org.uk/
'Parents Aboard'
by ANT Vision
Facilitating effective
parental involvement in
schools- empowering
parents, sharing learning experiences.
Read Australia list methods used to teach children to
read and spell and that allow for systematic, direct and explicit phonics instruction
- Read Australia- sharing information about
methods used to teach
children to
read and spell!
Proactively Involving
parents
The AU National Inquiry
into the Teaching of Literacy
published findings in 2005 http://www.dest.gov.au
/nitl/report.htm
It states that ..
.'systematic instruction in phonics during the early years of schooling
is an essential foundation for teaching children to read.'....
Read oveview of Teaching Reading report
findings and
recommendations
The problem is that there are
few courses which focus on this- and so teachers may know of these findings, but are still not able to expand on their knowledge.
Which is the main purpose for creating
Read Australia!
The AU National Inquiry lists
20 key recommendations
Click Here
Read Australia offer practical strategies and teaching resources- offering teachers
the 'how' with regards
to the AU National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy (Teaching Reading) recommendations
and findings.
Useful Essay
Observation on
Reading Recovery
Read Essay
We do not believe there is
any need for reading recovery type programmes, or special needs help within this area- if we begin to teach children using effective methods from
an early age, and learn to identify the children most
likely to fail.
Imaging Study Reveals Brain Function of Poor Readers Can Improve
A brain imaging study has
shown that, after they overcome their reading disability, the
brains of formerly poor readers begin to function like the brains
of good readers, showing increased activity in a part of the brain that recognizes words.
The study appears in the May 1 Biological Psychiatry and
was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of the National
Institutes of Health.
"These images show that effective reading instruction not only improves reading ability,
but actually changes the brain's functioning so that it can
perform reading tasks more efficiently," said Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of the NICHD. The research team
was led by Bennett Shaywitz, M.D., and Sally Shaywitz, M.D, of Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut. Other authors
of the study were from Syracuse University, in Syracuse, New York; Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee;
and the NICHD. Read More
Useful Training Directory
Search for Literacy
Specialists in your area
Using
Jolly Phonics
- A Guide For Teaching Reading And Writing
Superphonics
- Ruth Miskin
Visit the Bookshop
for the whole range of
Super Phonics reading
and spelling books and activities
Sorry state of a stateless peopleToronto Star, Canada - Jul 3, 2008Official indifference and Roma reluctance mean data on life expectancy, infant mortality, employment and literacy rates are sparse. ... |
Publ.Date : Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:36:18 GMT
Youth camps offeredSimi Valley Acorn, CA - 12 hours ago... Weeklong camps include Commercial/Film Boot Camp, Crime Scene Investigators Camp, Musical Theater Camp, Drama Sampler Camp, Wizardry and Literacy Camp. ... |
Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:29:26 GMT
Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:53:01 GMT
|
NICHD
research on children
with learning disabilities
has
shown that
deficiencies in processing
letter-sounds are
at the heart of most
reading problems. This
article illustrates how
letter-sound processing
works, and describes
strategies for teaching
children this skill.
Read
article
Children With
Reading Disability
By: Robert Bock (1998)
Bock, R. (1998). Why Children Succeed
or Fail at Reading: Research from
NICHD's Program in Learning
Disabilities. Health publication.
National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development
Phonemes are the smallest units making
up spoken anguage.
English consists of about 41 phonemes.
Phonemes
combine to form syllables and words.
A few words have only one
phoneme, such as a (a) or oh (o).
Most words consist of a blend
of phonemes, such as go (g-o) with two phonemes, check (ch-e-ck)
with three phonemes, or stop with four phonemes (s-t-o-p).
Phonemic
awareness refers to the ability to focus on and manipulate these
phonemes in spoken words.
Read
more
THE EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC PHONICS TEACHING
ON READING AND SPELLING ATTAINMENT
A seven year longitudinal study
Rhona Johnston 1 and Joyce Watson 2
1. Department of Psychology, University of Hull
2. School of Psychology, University of St Andrews
Click
here
The UK National Literacy
Strategy
includes lists of words to be
taught to children in Key
Stage One and Two
Help your child at home
Click Here
We would prefer that children (especially those who are struggling to read and spell well) do not
'memorise words' however, and
instead learn to de-code them, and also build them using this knowledge.
Click Here
Sounds 'help pupils
with reading'
Phonics gave pupils a
head-start, the study found
Teaching children literacy by
using the sounds letters make speeds
up their progress, a report says.
Eleven-year-olds in
Clackmannanshire, Scotland, who
used the "synthetic phonics"
method were three years
ahead in reading.
The local authority is using the
technique in its 19 primary schools.
A seven-year study by Hull and
St Andrews universities also found
pupils were on average almost
two years ahead of others in Scotland at spelling.
Read
article
The publication of the
Clackmannanshire research regarding
the impact of synthetic phonics on progression in reading, as
well as
the Select Committee's report
on
teaching children to read has re-focused attention on a long-standing
debate concerning the emphasis of synthetic phonics in the National
Literacy
Strategy. The central issue in
the
debate is not whether synthetic phonics
is taught but how.
Read more - DfES web site
Rose
Review of Reading
Rose Report
What is Dyslexia?
Click Here
"Read Australia" -
Introducing Phonics Methods of Teaching Reading & Spelling
- teach children to read
and spell
using systematic phonics programs.
Addressing the recommendations as outlined in the Rose Report (UK) and the National Inquiry into the
Teaching of Literacy (Australia) .......
Read Australia no
longer list information relating to the
Phono-Graphix method
of teaching children
to read and spell.
Emma Hartnell-Baker no longer has plans to
deliver workshops or training relating to
Phono-Graphix
within Australia
in the future.
'Read Australia'
continues to offer
free information and web site links to quality phonics programs around
the world.
THRASS, Jolly Phonics, Sounds~Write, Superphonics, The Sound Speech Set.....
Please do join us!... |
Email info@ReadAustralia.com
Literacy in Australia- teaching children to read and spell
using effective phonics programs. Free information & useful links!
Phono-Graphix no longer promoted. Free information and resources relating to
Jolly Phonics, Superphonics, THRASS, Sounds~Write, The Speech Sound Set...
contact Read Australia
to add more!
The Child Listener (Read Australia founder - 2004) is
unavailable
for private consultations, workshops or training at this time.
She will however
be writing articles and sharing information relating to child and teenage behaviour and
literacy
through her web sites.
The Child Listener will be undertaking research and writing a book relating to 'Parents Aboard'- linked with ANT Vision -
facilitating parental involvement in Kindy and schools
- empowering parents by teaching them
effective and simple ways to teach children to read and spell.
The ultimate goal of ANT Vision is to improve child and teenage behaviour within schools
ANT Vision has a no tollerance approach to anti-social and bullying behaviour - and seeks, in part, to address
this issue by helping children succeed
with regards to literacy. Read Australia was created to supplement this- offering a useful free resource to parents and teachers.
Australia Business Registration No: ABN 94 542 903 967
"We KNOW that there are strong links between poor literacy and problems behaviour- so let's be far more proactive in creating a preventative approach, and embrace the notion of empowering parents. A much stronger partnership needs to be developed between teachers, parents and children if we are to change the future of our society.
Join Read Australia today- and make sure that you are using the most effective methods possible, in order to truly help ALL of our children become good readers, and develop the skills necessary to crack the code. Not only does this open a world of opportunities, increased self-esteem is a natural, and much welcomed by-product.
There is no excuse for not giving our children the very best opportunities to succeed.
Read Australia offer YOU the opportunity to start doing that today.. "
"The Child Listener" 2007
Look out for the launch of 'Parents Aboard' - Teaching Your
Child to Read & Spell- Facilitating Parental Involvement in Schools
'Read Australia' are currently focusing on providing you with
free information relating to the following phonics programs:
Jolly Phonics Superphonics THRASS The Speech (and Vowel) Sound Set
& Sounds~Write
Read Australia have no affiliation with any of these programs-
nor do Read Australia offer training relating to these programs -this
free information is simply provided to help parents and teachers understand popular phonics programs
Research and articles relating to ' reading' and 'spelling'.
Phono-Graphix // Jolly Phonics //
Superphonics by Ruth Miskin // THRASS //
The Speech Sound Set // Sounds~Write
Information about Phono-Graphix is no longer available on the
Read Australia site- sorry!
Please do visit ReadAmerica.net for an over-view of this method of teaching
reading and spelling
More info
Back to programs
Jolly Phonics
Jolly Phonics is a thorough foundation for reading and writing. It teaches the letter sounds in an enjoyable, multi sensory way, and enables children to use them to read and write words.
Read the Jolly Phonics pages to gain background advice for parents and teachers, and understand the the principles behind Jolly Phonics so that your understanding of the teaching, and your ability to help a child, is much greater.
All the material is suitable for use in school and much of it is also well suited to use at home.
Read more about Jolly Phonics
Back to programs
The Miskin Method (Superphonics)
Ruth Miskin has taught for 25 years, 12 as a Head Teacher in Plymouth,
Leeds and Tower Hamlets, London.
During her time as Head Teacher in Tower Hamlets, she developed a simple way
of teaching reading and writing that proved very successful. Every child who completed
her programme learned to read fluently and confidently.
After leaving Tower Hamlets she went on to develop a full literacy programme called Read Write Inc. which other schools have adopted as an alternative to the National Literacy Strategy.
Read more about Superphonics
Back to programs
THRASS
A method of teaching English as a first or other language
Read more about THRASS
Back to programs
The Speech (and Vowel) Sound Set
Useful resources for Australian parents and teachers - the vowel set is based on
the Australian pronounciation of sounds/ words
Read more about The Speech Sound Set
Back to programs
Sounds~Write
Sounds~Write draws together modern research findings to produce a sequential and
explicit alphabet code-oriented programme for teaching all pupils to read and spell.
Read more about Sounds~Write
Back to programs
Do you, or does your organisation, work with young children?
Pre-School Teachers and Chilcare Staff WE NEED YOU!
There is no reason why pre-school aged children should not be well on the way to reading
- and (possibly more
importantly)
YOU can be a part of preventing reading difficulties, which are
linked with poor self-esteem,
and future behavioural and social difficulties.
It is possible to identify the children most likely to fail as early as aged 3- so dont wait until they start
school before offering them the help they need.
Let's start creating a preventative solution to reading and spelling difficulties and
making BIG changes to the lives of our children.
Please help us by sending useful links and information relating to literacy
(and specifically phonics instruction)
Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:53:01 GMT
Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:39:28 GMT
Publ.Date : Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:10:03 GMT
|
Please do email us with useful resources- for all aspects of education!
We are happy to promote quality education and behaviour related services.
Empowering parents and teachers - sharing research and useful information
relating to the teaching of reading worldwide, with a focus on Australia
Footprint Ventures are located on the Gold Coast Queensland
Correlation Between Prison Intake and Poor Literacy-
Predicting future prison populations using 3rd & 4th grade reading scores
http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2006/04/10/failing-reading-scores-prison-cells/
From
Investing in Literacy
Indiana’s former governor has stated that determining the number of new prisons to build is based, in part, on the number of second graders not reading at second-grade level.
From
Dialects, Teaching Reading and Literacy to Dialect Speakers: Educational CyberPlayGround™
In California they plan how many jail cells they will build in the future by how many children are not reading on grade level by third grade.
From
Democracy and Equity: CES’s Tenth Common Principle
“Based on this year’s fourth-grade reading scores,” observes Paul Schwartz, a Coalition principal in residence at the U. S. Department of Education, “California is already planning the number of new prison cells it will need in the next century.”
From
Evidence Based Education Science and Learning to Read
David Boulton: We were interviewing Lesley Morrow, the Past-President of the International Reading Association, and she made a statement which flabbergasted me. She said this was a fact: that there are some states that determine how many prison cells to build based on reading scores.
Dr. Grover (Russ) Whitehurst: Yes. Again, the predictability of reading for life success is so strong, that if you look at the proportion of middle schoolers who are not at the basic level, who are really behind in reading, it is a very strong predictor of problems with the law and the need for jails down the line.
Literacy for societies, literacy for states, literacy for individuals is a powerful determinate of success. The opposite of success is failure and clearly, being in jail is a sign of failure.
People who don’t read well have trouble earning a living. It becomes attractive to, in some cases the only alternative in terms of gaining funds, to violate the law and steal, to do things that get you in trouble. Few options in some cases other than to pursue that life. Of course reading opens doors.
The
psychology of reading is often overlooked- when children
feel that they can do it, and enjoy reading, they want
to try more- and then they
get better and better at this
new skill.
Wixson and Lipson
acknowledge that 'the students attitude toward
reading is a central factor
affecting reading performance'
These conclusions are based
on a long history of research
in which attitude and achievement
have been consistently
interlinked (eg Purves and Beach, 1972; Walberg and Tsai, 1985)
Conversely, if they struggle then
they will quickly see it as a
chore, and something to
be avoided. Read Australia suggest aiming for
a high initial success rate- and
making sure children are
enjoying the task, and are always working at just above their ability level. Challenge them
but don't dishearten them. If children don't succeed
regularly this can have a real
impact on their self-esteem
and ability to progress within
other areas of the curriculum.
It is vital that children
learn to read well before the are aged 8
This is just one of the reasons
we don't recommend that you immediately
introduce children
to
books (that they
are asked to
'read' themselves) if they
cant easily de-code them. ie
break
the words down
into individual sounds and sound blends. Giving children books to
'read' themselves that include words they
cannot de-code as yet also
teaches them
NOT to use the code, and instead to memorise or guess.
More Research relating to the teaching of reading, and interesting related news
Listings of Other Individuals and Organisations that
offer
services relating to teaching reading and spelling in Australia!
Find a tutor/ reading specialist in your area!
Please note that these individuals and organsiations are not necessarily
endorsed or approved by 'Read Australia'
Visit Directory
Quick questions to ask your child.
There is no reason why your child shouldnt be able to answer most of these by the age of
7 (if
not before)
Please use letter 'sounds' and not names
eg in first question you take away the 'l' (tongue at top of mouth, not pronounced 'el)
If you take away the 'l' from 'plum' what are you left with?
Do 'pen' and 'pipe' begin with the same sound?
(which one)
What word do we get if we put the sounds together: 'f' 'r' 'o' 'g'
? (say sounds slowly)
What is the last sound you hear in the word 'shout'?
There are 4 sound pictures in 'cart' - where does the 'r' sit? (1,2,3 or 4)
What sound do you hear in 'meat' that is missing in 'eat'?
What sounds do you hear in the word 'hot'?
How many sounds do you hear in the word 'shell'? (there are 3)
Which word starts with a different sound? 'bag' 'nine' 'beach'
'bike'.
What is the last sound you hear in 'hot' 'night' 'sit' and 'fat'
How many sounds can you hear in 'train' (there are 4)
What sound is 'ai'
What is the new sound if I put 's' and 'h' together?
If your child struggles please do speak to your teacher or contact
Read Australia
Parents- how many different sound pictures can you find that are used to represent the 'ay' sound?
We find that many parents need to go back to the code as often they read well without realising that they too
have gaps in their learning!
Behaviour and Literacy Information is provided by Early Years
and Special
Needs Education specialist Emma Hartnell-Baker who is an experienced teacher
(BEd Hons) with
Masters Degree in Special Educational Needs (including Dyslexia).
Emma completed a certification course in Phono-Graphix after being
inspired by clinical studies relating to this method of teaching children to read and spell-
and especially results gained with children who have learning challenges such as Dyslexia.
Please visit www.ReadAmerica.net
Emma does not offer PG course or private therapy herself. Please visit the
Read America site to find a therapist near you.
Emma is keen to share information about a variety of 'How to Teach Reading and Spelling'
methods that are all based around effective teaching of phonics, and are supported by
worldwide research and findings regarding 'Teaching Reading'
This site focusses on
Phono-Graphix, Jolly Phonics and Super Phonics - read information about these effective methods and
decide which you feel is right for you and your children!
Emma's own courses- not currently running- are created to focus not only on assessment of
children and
early intervention (from the age of 4)
but also
on teaching styles, resources, catering for individual learning styles and differences
(including behavioural and learning difficulties) and more.
Emma promotes a multisensory approach
ie We hear words, say them, write (spell) them and read them!
The Child Listener has been offering a range of workshops and
training relating to behaviour and literacy
For example
Teaching Kindy Kids to Read- at home and in Pre-School/ Kindy
Teaching children with EBD (Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties) to read and spell
Teaching children and teenagers with 'Dyslexia'
Training for parents- what you can do at home if your child is not yet
confidently reading and spelling (children of all ages)
In-Service Training for Early Years and Primary School Educators
For example
1/ Teaching pre-school children to read and spell using methods backed by research and
pilot studies (effective ways to teach phonics) and linked with individual learning styles.
2/ Assessing children even before they begin to read - preventing reading and spelling
difficulties by targeting the children most likely to fail.
(also covering the assessment of older children - finding the gaps in their knowledge
Using this to develop individual and group work- using phonics effectively.
3/ Teaching children to read and spell within the Kindy years and at home using an effective phonics programme that is easy for parents to understand and incorporate within daily life.
Linking what we say (our words) with the written code.
4/ Teaching children to read and spell within Prep, Years 1 and 2 using an effective phonics
programme that is linked with individual learning styles.
Assessing current level of understanding with regards to the written code, and using this to
plan a programme that meets individual needs.
5/ Teaching children with learning difficulties and EBD (Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties) to
read and spell using an effective phonics programme linked with individual needs and
level of understanding of the written code.
6/ Re-evaluating how we teach children to read and spell- linking research with current methodology.
What have we learnt from the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy
( http://www.dest.gov.au/nitl/report.htm and how do we use these findings to move forward.
Embracing change, empowering children, parents, childcare workers and early years educators
- raising standards nationally.
7/ Why some children fail to learn to read and what we can do about it- at home and in school.
Increasing parent and teacher awareness of the processes involved in learning to read and spell
(effective de-coding of the written word) and what they can do to help ALL children to succeed.
However Emma is about to undertake research as part of a Doctorate (Education) and
courses are therefore no longer offered.
"When I was a
kid they didn't call it dyslexia. They called it you know, you were
slow, or you were retarded, or whatever. What you can never change
is the effect that the words 'dumb' and 'stupid'
have on young people.
I knew I wasn't stupid, and I knew I wasn't dumb. My mother told
me that.
If you read to me, I could tell you everything that you
read. They didn't know what it was.
They knew I wasn't lazy, but
what was it?"
— Whoopi Goldberg
Updated : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:02:47 GMT
Publ.Date : Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:05:27 GMT
Publ.Date : Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:07:47 GMT
Publ.Date : Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:54:58 GMT
|
Read
Australia ( Queensland) offers free information
for parents and teachers
- how
to teach children to read quickly
& effectively using methods that
are proven to work even with children who have dyslexia and other and other learning difficulties
|
Home
Page // Contact Read Australia
/ Rates and Services/ Next
workshops and courses
for parents and teachers / In-service Training
for Nurseries and Schools/ Books and Resources
/
Dyslexia and Learning
Difficulties / Research
/ Site Links
High Frequency Words
High-frequency
words taught as 'sight recognition' for Reception/ Prep to Year 2
The UK National
Literacy Strategy includes a list of 45 words to be taught by the end of Reception
and
approximately 150 words to be learned during Years 1 and 2.
The lists
are composed of essential high-frequency words which pupils will need, even
to tackle the
simplest sentences. Some have irregular or difficult spellings
and can be hard to predict from surrounding
text.
Therefore, teachers need to
ensure pupils can read these words both in and out of context.
(please note that we do not particularly advocate the use of learning words by memory rather than de-coding-
using a method with a focus on phonics gives them the skills to de-code the words
wherever they see them- they shouldn't need to 'predict them from surrounding text')
Reception/ Kindy/ Prep ( approx 4-5.5yrs )
a
all
am
and
are
at
away
big
can
cat
come
dad
day
dog
for
get
go
going he
in
is
it
like
look
me
mum my
no
of
on
play
said
see
she
the they
this
to
up
was
we
went
yes
you
Years 1 and
2 (approx 5 - 7yrs)
about
after
again
an
another
as
back
ball
be
because
bed
been
boy
brother
but
by
call(ed)
came
can't
could
did
do
don't
dig door
down
first
from
girl
good
got
had
half
has
have
help
her
here
him
his
home
house
how
if
jump
just
last
laugh little
live(d)
love
made
make
man
many
may
more
much
must
name
new
next
night
not
now
off
old
once
one
or
our
out over
people
push
pull
put
ran
saw
school
seen
should
sister
so
some
take
than
that
their
them
then
there
these
three
time
too took
tree
two
us
very
want
water
way
were
what when
where
who
will
with
would
your
Plus:
days of the week
months of the year
numbers to twenty
common colour words
pupil's name and address
name and address of school
Medium-frequency
words to be taught through Years 4 and 5
The National
Literacy Strategy provides a checklist of words that pupils should be familiar
with by the end of
Year 5. Most of them should present little or no difficulty
in reading to Year 4 pupils, although spelling could be more problematic since
many do not have regular patterns or are easily confused. They should be taught
in
groups across the two years, using meaning, common spelling patterns, or
sound patterns.
The Strategy does not suggest that teachers should work slavishly
through the list, teaching by drilling;
rather, the words and their spelling
should be investigated and learned in class.
above
across
almost
along
also
always
animals
any
around
asked
baby
balloon
before
began
being
below
better
between
birthday
both
brother
brought
can't
change children
clothes
coming
didn't
different
does
don't
during
earth
every
eyes
father
first
follow(ing)
found
friends
garden
goes
gone
great
half
happy
head
heard high
I'm
important
inside
jumped
knew
know
lady
leave
light
might
money
morning
mother
much
near
never
number
often
only
opened
other
outside
own paper
place
right
round
second
show
sister
small
something
sometimes
sound
started
still
stopped
such
suddenly
sure
swimming
think
those
thought
through
today
together told
tries
turn(ed)
under
until
upon
used
walk(ed)(ing)
watch
where
while
white
whole
why
window
without
woke(n)
word
work
world
write
year
young
Back to top
Phonemes
Most research backs the need
for lots of
phonics, the sooner the better. While many beginners may be able
to figure out
what words mean by their context, most children-particularly
those having trouble-need help learning the shapes and
sounds of
English. The brain has no inherent knowledge of the alphabet, says
Dr. Frank Vellutino, director of the
child-research center at SUNNY-Albany.
It has to be taught.
Phonemes are the smallest units making up spoken language.
English consists of about 41 phonemes.
Phonemes combine to form
syllables and words. A few words have only one phoneme, such as
a (a) or oh (o).
Most words consist of a blend of phonemes, such
as go (g-o) with two phonemes, check (ch-e-ck) with three phonemes,
or stop with four phonemes (s-t-o-p). Phonemic awareness refers
to the ability to focus on and manipulate these
phonemes in spoken
words.
The National Reading Panel was created by NICHD
and the Department of Education. It includes 14 individuals who
are leading scientists in reading research, representatives of colleges
of education, reading teachers, administrators and parents.
During
the last two years, the panel held five field hearings to consult
with stakeholders in education and listen to their concerns.
They
then assessed the current status of research-based knowledge, including
the effectiveness of various approaches
to teach children to read
and the readiness of application in the classroom.
The National Reading Panel found that there is a
clear and distinct pattern that children go through as they learn
to read.
It starts with phoneme awareness and phonics
instruction, which leads to fluency. It is important to understand
that children
won't become fluent until they have the foundation
of phonemes and phonics established. In Kindergarten and first grade,
phoneme awareness and systemic phonics instruction are essential
for
children at-risk.
The Panel's findings are welcome news given the
staggering statistics. In 1994, the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) found that 42 percent of fourth graders read below
basic levels. The 1998 NAEP showed that the
situation was not improved.
The results found that 69 percent of fourth grade students are reading
below the proficient level.
This is confirmed by the 1999 National Education
Goals Report which finds that the U.S. has failed to increase the
percentage of
students scoring at or above proficient in reading
for students in grade four. The report indicates that only 31 percent
of our
nation's fourth graders read at or above the proficient level,
meaning 69 percent of our students are failing.
In 1994, the NAEP revealed that reading problems
affect students in virtually every social, cultural and ethnic group.
According to the results, 29 percent of whites, 69 percent of African
Americans, 64 percent of Hispanics, 22 percent of
Asian Americans
and 52 percent of American Indians read below basic levels in the
fourth grade.
The Panel determined that systematic phonics instruction
leads to significant positive benefits for students in kindergarten
through sixth grade and for children with difficulty learning to
read. Kindergartners who receive systematic beginning
phonics instruction
read better and spell better than other children, and first graders
are better able to decode and spell words.
The students also show
significant improvement in their ability to understand what they
read. Similarly, phonics instruction helps
older children spell
and decode text better, although their understanding does not necessarily
improve.
For more detail about the National Reading Panel's
report, please visit their website
at http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org.
Statistics also show that around 19 to 20% of children
starting Secondary School within the UK
are failing to read to the
level expected
Ofsted warns of gulf in reading levels
Rebecca Smithers, education editor
Wednesday December 15, 2004
The Guardian
The new report from the Office for Standards in
Educa tion, Reading for Purpose and Pleasure - An Evaluation of
Reading
in Primary Schools, showed that continued improvement in
reading standards was being marred by an increasing gulf
between
those schools that successfully tackle weaknesses in reading and
those that do not.
The Department for Education and Skills has released
figures showing that in 2,235 primary schools (roughly 10%), a
third
of 11-year-olds do not reach the standard expected for their age,
down on more than 6,100 in 1997. But Mr Bell said
he remained worried
about this group of schools which were failing to make any progress.
"Today's findings are unacceptable," he
said. "Although standards in reading are rising, we have yet
to ensure that all our
pupils are competent and confident readers
by the time they leave primary school. A stubborn core of pupils
at the bottom of the
scale are being let down by the system."
The most effective teaching included the systematic
daily teaching of phonics, while formal "reading records"
were found to
be one of the weakest aspects of teaching reading,
the report found.
Read
article
20 key recommendations from the Australia National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy
The National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy Teaching Reading report lists 20 key
recommendations to improve the reading skills of children in Australia.
- That teachers be equipped with teaching strategies based on findings from rigorous, evidence-based research that are shown to be effective in enhancing the literacy development of all children.
- That teachers provide systematic, direct and explicit phonics instruction so that children master the essential alphabetic
code-breaking skills required for foundational reading proficiency. Equally, that teachers provide an integrated approach to
reading that supports the development of oral language, vocabulary, grammar, reading fluency, comprehension and the
literacies of new technologies.
-
That literacy teaching continue throughout schooling (K-12) in all areas of the curriculum ... meeting the specific skill
and knowledge needs of individual children from diverse backgrounds and locations.
- That programs, guides and workshops be provided for parents and carers to support their children’s literacy development.
These should acknowledge and build on the language and literacy that children learn in their homes and communities.
- That all education authorities and school leaders examine their approaches to the teaching of literacy and put in place an
explicit, whole-school literacy planning, monitoring and reviewing process in collaboration with school communities and parents.
- That all schools identify a highly-trained specialist literacy teacher with specialised skills in teaching reading.
- That specialist postgraduate studies in literacy (especially in teaching reading) be provided by higher education providers.
- That Teaching Australia – Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, in consultation with [key stakeholders], develop and implement national standards for literacy teaching, initial teacher registration, and for accomplished teaching, consistent with
evidence-based guides for practice. It is further recommended that these standards form a basis for the accreditation of teacher preparation courses.
- That the teaching of literacy throughout schooling be informed by comprehensive, diagnostic and developmentally appropriate assessments of every child, mapped on common scales. Further, it is recommended that:
- nationally consistent assessments on entry to school be undertaken for every child;
- education authorities and schools be responsible for the measurement of individual progress in literacy by regularly monitoring the development of each child and reporting progress twice each year for the first three years of schooling; and
- the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 national literacy testing program be refocused to make available diagnostic information on individual student performance, to assist teachers to plan the most effective teaching strategies.
- That a confidential mechanism such as a unique student identifier be established ... to monitor a child’s progress
throughout schooling [regardless of location].
- That the key objective of primary teacher education courses be to prepare student teachers to teach reading, and that the
content of coursework in primary literacy education focus on contemporary understandings of:
- evidence-based findings and an integrated approach to the teaching of reading, including instruction on how to teach
phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension;
- child and adolescent development; and
- inclusive approaches to literacy teaching.
- That literacy teaching within subject areas be included in the coursework of secondary teachers so that they are well
prepared to continue the literacy development of their students throughout secondary schooling in all areas of the curriculum.
- That significant national ‘lighthouse’ projects in teacher preparation and education be established to link theory
and practice that effectively prepare pre-service teachers to teach literacy, and especially reading, to diverse groups of children.
- That the conditions for teacher registration of graduates from all primary and secondary teacher education programs include a demonstrated command of personal literacy skills necessary for effective teaching, and a demonstrated ability to teach
literacy within the framework of their employment/teaching program.
- That schools and employing authorities ... provide all teachers with appropriate induction and mentoring throughout
their careers, and with ongoing opportunities for evidence-based professional learning about effective literacy teaching.
- That a national program of literacy action be established to:
- design a series of evidence-based teacher professional learning programs focused on effective classroom
teaching, and later interventions for those children experiencing reading difficulties;
- produce a series of evidence-based guides for effective teaching practice, the first of which should be on reading;
- evaluate the effectiveness of approaches to early literacy teaching (especially for early reading) and professional learning programs for practising teachers;
- investigate ways of integrating the literacies of information and communication technologies with traditional literacies in the classroom;
- establish networks of literacy/reading specialist practitioners to facilitate the application of research to
practice; and
promote research into the most effective teaching practices to be used when preparing pre-service
teachers to teach reading.
- That Australian and State and Territory governments’ approaches to literacy improvement be aligned to achieve improved
outcomes for all Australian children.
- That the Australian Government, together with State and Territory government and non-government education authorities,
jointly support the proposed national program for literacy action.
- The Australian Government Minister for Education, Science and Training raise these recommendations as issues for
attention and action by MCEETYA [Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs], and other
bodies, agencies and authorities, that will have responsibility to take account of, and implement the recommendations.
- Progress in implementing these recommendations, and on the state of literacy in Australia, be
reviewed and reported every two years.
Headstart Education and Read Australia deliver workshops and training courses for parents and teachers
- developing a preventative solution to the teaching of reading and spelling, and empowering parents.
Raising literacy standards across Queensland and Australia
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'Read Australia' is one of several services offered by Footprint Ventures (Queensland) who offer
a range of options relating to the professional development of teachers and empowerment of parents,
Emma Hartnell-Baker has a BEd Hons and a Masters Degree in Special Needs.
She is about to undertake the Doctor of Education research program at Griffith University .
Emma was a former UK Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) Inspector and has many years
experience working with children and teenager in the area of PSED - promoting positive behaviour support
Literacy Achievement and Behaviour are often very much interlinked.
Footprint Ventures take a preventative approach, and strive to be a part of creating a kinder and more productive society.
Please do contact us for more information, and also if you would like to join us and be a
part of something really worthwhile!
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Read
Australia - training parents and teachers how to
teach children to read
quickly and effectively using methods that are
proven to work with all children INCLUDING those with dyslexia
and other learning difficulties & Special Needs. Offering reading and spelling training and workshops across Australia.
Footprint Ventures are proud to bring to you the following useful Australia web sites
Read Australia // The Child Listener / Footprint Life Coaching /
We are now based on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
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short courses in Dreamweaver
web design with Shoestring Webdesign, Gold Coast, Queensland Australia!
Footprint Ventures also manage Fertility Choices Worldwide
Introducing Phonics Methods of Teaching Reading & Spelling - teach children to read and spell
using systematic phonics programs.
Addressing the recommendations as outlined in the Rose Report (UK) and the National Inquiry into the
Teaching of Literacy (Australia) .......
Read Australia no longer lists information relating to the Phono-Graphix method of teaching children to read and spell.
Emma Hartnell-Baker no longer has plans to
deliver workshops of training relating to Phono-Graphix in the future.
'Read Australia' continues to offer
free information and web site links to quality phonics programs around the world.
THRASS, Jolly Phonics, Sounds~Write, Superphonics, The Sound Speech Set.....Please do join us!...
Getting Australia reading- and loving it!
www.readaustralia.com
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Read
Australia web site maintained by Shoestring Web Design - Gold Coast - Queensland Australia
Brought to you by Footprint Ventures Queensland Australia ABN 94 542 903 967
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