An Evidenced – based Critique of Synthetic Phonics in Literacy Learning

Clark, M. In this short paper, Clark summarises key points from her own research, and the work of many other researchers over several decades.  Most researchers support the belief that there is a benefit from the inclusion of phonics with the early instruction in...

The Place of Phonics in Learning to Read and Write

Emmitt, M; Hornsby, D. and Wilson, L. Published by ALEA in 2006 Revised in 2013 This brief (22-page) article makes a strong case that children best learn to read when teachers help them engage with meaningful and engaging texts rather than with commercial programs....

Fact Check on What Makes for Systematic Teaching of Phonics

Fact Check on Clarifying a Balanced Literacy Approach

The Writing Identity of Teachers

Alan J Wright Alan J. Wright is a very experienced teacher and literacy consultant with a passion for writing and the teaching of writing. This short piece Alan argues, ‘Teachers’ writing identities tend to shape the delivery of their writing instruction. This in turn...

‘I’m In Another World’: writing without rules lets kids find their voice, just like professional authors

Conversation October 21, 2021 by Brett Healey Brett begins this Conversation piece by suggesting that we ask  child why they write and you might receive a common response: .’ He suggests that we need to give our students opportunities to learn writing...

Collaborative Conversations: Speaking and Listening in the Primary Grades

As part of a collaborative study, a first-grade teacher and two university-based researchers, set a goal to facilitate meaningful, student-led discussions about literature. In this article the authors share several strategies they found successful in enhancing the...

Enhancing Children’s Oral Language and Literacy Development Through Storytelling in an Early Years Classroom

Telling stories is something we do every day – it’s a part of being human. In this article, Tamara Bromley, an early childhood and lead teacher in Western Australia, shares how she used her own storytelling to engage her learners and create a sense of belonging in her...

What are ‘decodable readers’ and how do they work?

Misty Adoniou, Brian Cambourne and Robyn Ewing  The Conversation Nov 12 2018 Money for books must surely be a good thing. But what exactly is a “decodable reader”? After all, surely all books are decodable. If they weren’t decodable they would be unreadable. Link:...

A New Phonics Test is Pointless – we shouldn’t waste precious money buying it from England

Misty Adoniou The Conversation; September 2017.  This article was as the Australian Coalition Government was canvassing the introduction of a phonics screening assessment for all year 1 children in Australia. Adoniou tests the claims that the then Minister for...