Research and Practice Library
The articles and resources in our Research and Practice Library form a contemporary evidence base for the teaching and learning of reading and viewing; writing and representing; speaking and listening.
Click on the tabs below to filter the collection via Category. You can also use the Tag Cloud below to explore the collection via keywords.
Explore articles and resources from the collection with a Curriculum focus:
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Explore articles and resources from the collection with a Policy focus:
Science and writing: Why AERO’s narrow views are a big mistake
“Will narrow instructional models promoted by AERO crowd out quality teaching and learning? A recent ‘practice guide’ from the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO), on ‘Writing in Science’ raises significant questions about the peak body’s narrow views on…
Why evidence is important in educational practice and policy
This post from van Bergen and colleagues is a well-argued response to recent claims that evidence-based practice has become weaponised in policy and practice (see: our review on Brunker’s original post). They argue that while Brunker’s claims have some validity, the…
NAPLAN: Time to think differently
“It’s not the results of NAPLAN that are the problem. It is NAPLAN testing itself. These standardised tests contribute to the maintenance of a deeply unequal system.” Rudolf provides an insightful review of NAPLAN and both it’s intended and unintended outcomes. The…
Escape Oppression Now: Disrupt the Dominance of Evidence-Based Practice
“Evidence-Based Practice dominates every Australian education system facilitated through government and non-government organisations including NSW’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE), the national and independent Evidence for Learning, and the…
Are the latest NAPLAN results really an ‘epic fail’?
Every year the results of the annual NAPLAN tests are accompanied by a flurry of opinions about teachers and teaching, many of which are uninformed by research. It is reassuring that Sally Larsen’s article draws on research that shows the sky is not falling, there is…
Education lives beyond the bounds of black and white
“Learning is a complex process, and binary, either-or strategies will not get the results children deserve.’ Professor O’Connor’s commentary on education in New Zealand prompts us to consider the similarities and synergies in the Australian context. He explores the…
Explore articles and resources from the collection with a Pedagogy focus:
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Explore articles and resources from the collection with a Reading focus:
Read Michael Morpurgo’s beautiful paean to reading, books and the power of education
Morpurgo, M. (2016, September 21) Book Trust Annual Lecture. TES Magazine. Beloved Children’s author Michael Morpurgo in this Book Trust Annual Lecture takes up the issue of the importance of a reading culture where society as a whole values books, literature and most…
Book Trust Annual Lecture: Michael Morpurgo
Speaking at the inaugural Book Trust Annual Lecture, one bestselling author says there has been a growth in reading and literacy, but it has not been all-inclusive – far from it. Reference: Morpurgo, M. (2016, September 21) Book Trust Annual Lecture. TES Magazine….
Readers’ Theatre: Theatre of the Imagination
Ewing, R. & Rushton, K. (2024, August,14). Foundation for Learning and Literacy. In this 15 minute video conversation, Foundation for Learning and Literacy executive members Robyn Ewing AM and Kathy Rushton, share their expert knowledge, research and…
Phonics isn’t working – for children’s reading to improve, they need to learn to love stories
Hollman, W., Wallace, C., & Macroy, G (2024, April 10) The Conversation. The argument built by these three eminent linguists from England begins by acknowledging that in 2023 30% of 5-year-olds were not meeting target levels and that more than half the children…
Key principles for designing early years literacy programs
Australia Reads August 6, 2024 Foundation for Learning and Literacy co-convenor Robyn Ewing AM was invited to write this article for Australia Reads, one of the Foundation’s symposium partners. Robyn has provided a blueprint for teachers to design their literacy…
What Matters Most? Toward a Robust and Socially Just Science of Reading
“”Science of reading” has become a rallying term in education, but its dominant usage narrows the goal of reading instruction to little more than assessed proficiency. Aukerman’s 2021 article proposes a different framework for the science of reading, one that draws on…
Explore articles and resources from the collection with a Writing focus:
Meeting the Needs of Struggling Readers and Writers
This Foundation for Learning and Literacy published article is one of two partner articles on supporting struggling readers and writers and expands on Touchstone 6. The partner article is Principles for working with struggling readers and writers- advice for teachers…
Mindful Actions to Engage Inexperienced Writers
Alan J Wright Alan J. Wright is a very experienced teacher and literacy consultant with a passion for writing and the teaching of writing. He has worked in many classrooms in Australia and the USA, modelling exemplary ways to teach students to write and to develop…
Writing as A Process
R.D. Walshe 1981 This article was originally Chapter 2 in his book Every Child Can Write (1981, PETAA). In 1999 Bob edited original 40 pages into a stand-alone article. It is a clear succinct exploration of ‘writing as a process’: a concept that many today take for…
Reading Like a Writer
Frank Smith, Language Arts, 1983 Vol 5, No 5 pp558-567 In this seminal article Frank Smith questions ‘the myth that one could learn to write to diligent attention and practice’ (p.558). Smith asks: ‘Where do people who write acquire all the knowledge they need?’ The…
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….
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…
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