literacy [n.]

the ability to read and write.

reading [n.]

1. the action or skill of reading. 2. an instance of something being read to an audience. 3. an interpretation of a text. 4. a figure recorded on a measuring instrument. 5. a stage of debate in parliament through which a bill must pass before it can become law.

Oxford Dictionaries

Literacy is a crucial skill for survival in the modern world. The ability to read and write applies wherever you are and in any walk of life. Reading is an essential component of being literate. The development of both Literacy and Reading, forms a significant part of education throughout your life and applies to many kinds of literacy, all of which are based in some way on the capacity to read and understand.

This page looks at Literacy and Reading Development. It includes Literacy background information, statistics, innovations and more from Australia and overseas. Reading Development looks at various formats including the Phonics debate and Reading Recovery.

The Second Page looks at Research and other Reading information including associations, journals, Premier’s Reading Challenge, Reading resources including software and more.

Reading Recommendations have moved to the Literature page to which it is more closely aligned.

We continually add to information available and are willing to consider suggested areas and sources as time permits.

Literacy

Background information, statistics, the Australian scene, innovations, more.

Australian Sites

• A Focus on Being Literate
  ‘Focuses on learning and teaching about what it means to be literate. Covers the importance of literacy learning for all students’. Tasmanian Education Department.
• Australian Literacy Educators’ Association
  ‘Support and professional development to educators and others interested in literacy through international, national, state and regional conferences, workshops and seminars, journals, position papers and other publications’.
• Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program
  ‘To introduce young children and parents to great books and early literacy activities, the State Library of Western Australia has developed Better Beginnings’.
• Critical Reading
  Education Tasmania. What it is, why it is important, finding ideas, using it in the classroom, more.
• LinguistLearning
  ‘Designed to save you time, money, effort when seeking reading, writing, grammar, spelling resources. This will help you reach your professional development goals much quicker’. The result of one Australian linguist and literacy specialist. Multiple sections.
• Links To Research and Special Projects
  Links from ESA.
• Literacy
  Queensland Department of Education and Training. Literacy research, Upper Primary Literacy, Resources, more.
• Literacy and Numeracy National Partnership
  ‘The National Partnership will fund a range of approaches that will lead to accelerated improvement in literacy and numeracy outcomes for targeted students and schools. Over time there should be more students achieving above the national minimum standard in literacy and numeracy, allowing these students to progress successfully through their schooling and actively participate in the workforce and contribute to their community in future years’. RTF document.
• Literacy In The New Millennium
  PDF report on this topic. Summary available in HTML, purchase a hard copy.
• Literacy, Numeracy and Special Learning Needs
  Information from the DEEWR. Information about the program.
• Literacy Pages [Innovations]
  Australian site. Information, links to literacy ideas, innovations, resources.
• Literacy Standards in Australia
  Online and as a PDF document. Standards, frameworks, survey, findings, more.
• Literacy Links - StudentNet
  Some relate specifically to the organisation, but there is a good collection for K-12 and Teaching & Learning. All clearly annotated.
• Literacy Strategies Handbook
  ‘Contains effective strategies that can be used to develop classroom literacy activities’. Nearly 7mb in size.
• LiteracyWeb Australia
  ‘LiteracyWeb Australia aims to highlight case studies in the area of children’s development of literacy skills and to facilitate publishing and dissemination of effective teaching strategies’.
• National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy
  Report issued in the latter part of 2005. Details, including the report. Available in PDF format, with several other documents also available..
• Stella
  Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia. ‘Detailed picture of accomplished English/Literacy teaching. The Standards have been developed by teacher members of AATE and ALEA around Australia and are supported by national and state ETA Councils in all states and territories. STELLA attempts to capture the depth and range of accomplished English/Literacy teaching. The STELLA materials identify current best principles and practice for English Literacy teaching but they are not intended to be definitive statements that sign off on behalf of future members of the profession. They encourage continuing reflection, review and dialogue about what ‘good’ English Literacy teachers believe, know and are able to do’.
• What is Literacy ?
  Literacy Web Australia. Case studies, other literacy sites, articles, more.
• Who Set the Benchmarks ? …
  Analysing the National Literacy Agenda. Thoughtful article by Margaret Gill, Monash University. Australian Association for the Teaching of English.

Other Sites

• 21st Century Literacies
  Reviews literacies from Basic Language to Mathematical, Cultural, Information. Each has a range of information in various forms - PDF, extracts, Power Point, web page, etc..
• Kids and Family Reading Report
  ‘Kids age 5-17 believe technology will supplement - not replace - book reading and say they will always want to read books printed on paper’. This is the 2008 Report.
• Literacy Learning Progressions
  Done for the Ministry of Education in New Zealand.
• Literacy Assessment Online
  ‘This literacy assessment system provides online literacy assessments to measure and track a pupil’s literacy progress. There are two types of literacy assessment available - spelling age assessments and reading age assessments, both of which are based upon standardised data. With the current focus on literacy this system provides an important tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures schools put in place to improve literacy standards’. While UK Based, some Australian teachers who have discovered the site are now applying for accounts.
  Worth considering !
• Literacy.org
  ‘Your source for research and development on literacy in the U.S. and worldwide. Literacy.org at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education, is comprised of NCAL and ILI. The National Center for Adult Literacy [NCAL] has been engaged for more than two decades in cutting edge and high-impact research, innovation, and training in adult education and technology, as well as in other areas of adult basic education and literacy. The International Literacy Institute [ILI], co-founded in 1994 by UNESCO and Penn, focuses on a broad range of literacy issues from early childhood through youth and adult education, particularly in developing countries’.
• Literacy Resources on The Internet
  International Association of School Librarianship. Well annotated links to resources, information.
• The Literacy Web
  University of Connecticut. ‘Classroom literacy resources are now just a click away. Keep up-to-date with monthly articles and special features, Locate ideas for integrating literacy strategies into your classroom, Access current research, professional development resources’.

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Reading Development

Multilit

Structured reading program based on phonics, sight word recognition, supported book reading.

• Multilit
  ‘MULTILIT® [Making Up Lost Time In Literacy] is directed by Professor Kevin Wheldall, Macquarie University Special Education Centre. Information for parents, teachers. Links to research.
• An Evaluation of Multilit
  Making Up Lost Time In Literacy. Also available here in PDF and RTF formats.

Phonics

Many do not advocate use of the phonics format in reading. Some children gain benefit, especially when used in conjunction with other methods. With learning being individual, If it works - use it !.

• A Systematic Review of the Research Literature
  On the Use of Phonics in the Teaching of Reading and Spelling. ‘This review is based on evidence from randomised controlled trials ’. Department for Children, Schools & Families, UK.
• NRRF - Phonics
  ‘The National Right to Read Foundation - Phonics - It Works !’
• Perfect Poems for Teaching Phonics
• Phonics Resources, Web English Teacher
• Phonics and Teaching Reading [Reach Every Child]
  ‘These sites are loaded with lessons, printables, quizzes, research and organisations that can help students read better by using phonics. Take your time and make sure your printer has plenty of ink’. US site.
• Phonics Tool Kit & Phonics Awareness
  Fee-based
• Review of Early Reading
  The Rose Review. ‘Provided clear recommendations on what constitutes high quality phonics work. These recommendations were also summarised in the Core Position Paper’. Report and position paper available as PDF files. Department for Children, Schools & Families, UK.
• The Synthetic Phonics Toolkit
  ‘The Synthetic Phonics Toolkit, by teachers for teachers, gives you every resource and plan you need to teach synthetic phonics. It makes learning to read lots of fun and full of success with dozens of multi-sensory games and activities’. 3 Kits, Fee-based.

Phonics or Whole Language ?

Over recent years there has been heated discussion about which is best. If people think about it, both can be of value. The approach selected Must take into account the needs and capacities of each individual student. These sites give input to this discussion.

• IRA Position Statement - Phonics
• NRRF - About Phonics
  ‘The National Right to Read Foundation - About Phonics’. See link in section above.
• NRRF Research
  ‘Whole Language vs. Experimental Research Approach to Reading Development’.
• Phonics & Whole Language
  ‘Of the 64 reviews, 14 considered topics related to phonics and/or whole language. Published from 1976 to 2002, the findings of these reviews are mixed’. Listing with abstracts, many with PDF downloads.
• The Reading Wars
  Phonics versus Whole Language. Article by Jon Reyhner, Northern Arizona University.
• Whole Language and Phonics : Can They Work Together ?
  Article from Education World.

Reading Development

• Letters and Sounds
  ‘These notes form an introduction to Letters and Sounds and are intended to help practitioners and teachers use the programme effectively. Guidance on the principles of the Six-phase Teaching Programme is included, together with some frequently asked questions’. Department for Children, Schools & Families, UK.
• Longitudinal Twin Study
  Of Early Reading Development.
• Stage Models of Reading Development
  ‘How Might Stage Models of Reading Development be Helpful in the Classroom ?’
• Stages of Reading Development
  Simple presentation from a US school district. Includes suggestions for parents on how to support their development. See right menu for stages.
• Techniques for Teaching Reading Effectively
  Includes ‘Reading 101 : What you should know about print awareness, the sounds of speech, phonemic awareness, phonics, informal assessment, fluency, vocabulary, spelling, writing, and text comprehension; Who’s at risk for not learning to read; What else matters in teaching reading such as classroom management, differentiated instruction/grouping, working with parents, Glossary of basic terms in reading instruction’.
• Three Stages of Reading
  ‘The Three Stages Of Reading strategy involves teaching students to delve into text’. Covers the Before, During, After periods related to reading.
• U-CAN READ
  ‘Dedicated to developing student’s literacy skills by providing parents and carers with ideas, knowledge and support. It is a joint project of the University of Canberra and ACT Education and Training Directorate [ETD]. U-CAN READ endorses current best practices in literacy interventions and includes a strong research component’.

Reading Recovery

‘An early literacy intervention program providing intensive, individual help for children having difficulties in learning to read and write’. State & Territory links included.

• New South Wales
  PDF, Multiple languages.
• Queensland
  This unit covers Reading Recovery.
• South Australia
  Information for South Australia can also be found on the Early Years Literacy and Numeracy Program site.
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Reading Recovery Council of North America
  North American approach. Book lists, publications, journals, directories, training. Research section [PDF articles] is particularly good.

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