Submissions 281-300
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Submission Number |
Author |
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281 |
Irlen Dyslexia Centre, VIC
This submission presents a summary of information, benefits and
recommendations regarding the 12 to 15 per cent of the population who have
the genetic learning disability called Scotopic Sensitivity/Irlen
Syndrome. The submission says that these individuals may be helped by the
use of Irlen coloured filter lenses, which correct a mid-brain processing
problem, thereby enabling them to process visual information accurately.
This can result in improved reading and writing skills, improved self
confidence and behaviour, and better depth perception. The submission
makes several recommendations.
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282 |
The Athena School, Newton, NSW
This submission contains information supporting the teaching of reading by
a synthetic phonics system. It explains the basics of The Athena Reading
Program, how it aligns with current research and should be looked to as
exemplifying the best way to teach reading. The submission explains that
The Athena School Reading Curriculum is based in a phonics method based in
the Study Technology originated by L. Ron Hubbard.
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283 |
Australian Primary Principals’ Association (APPA)
This submission has drawn on the knowledge and practical experience of
principals as well as research, including, in particular, a 2004 study
titled The Sufficiency of Resources for Australian Primary Schools,
commissioned by the Department of Education, Science and Training. The
submission considers the following issues: pre-service learning; teacher
professional learning; students with special needs; resourcing; the role
of Principals; the role of parents in the early years; and assessment. The
submission makes 12 recommendations. APPA represents 7500 principals
throughout Australia from government, Catholic and independent schools.
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284 |
Catholic Education Office (CEO), Sydney, NSW
This submission notes that the Catholic Education Office (CEO) Sydney, and
its system of 148 schools, has had a long commitment to ensuring the
highest quality of literacy teaching and learning. It also notes that
literacy teaching in Sydney Catholic schools is effective and that there
is significant evidence to support this. The Submission discusses the
following issues: the CEO and its system of schools; understanding
literacy; influences on policy and practices; effectiveness of literacy
teaching in CEO Sydney and its schools; key features that have contributed
to that effectiveness; teaching literacy in the primary years; teaching
literacy in the secondary years; language acquisition and literacy for ESL
learners; literacy and students with disability; teacher development;
multiliteratices; and looking forward: challenges and opportunities.
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|
285 |
Department of Education, Tasmania
This submission has five Parts. The first part comments on the scope of
the Inquiry and the literacy debate in general. The second part addresses
the Inquiry’s first and third objectives, referring in particular to
research conducted by the Tasmanian Department of Education and other
government sponsored research. This part discusses the impact of research
on classroom practice and how the use of research can be improved. The
third part of the submission addresses the Inquiry’s second objective. It
considers why some prospective teachers are not prepared as well as they
should be to teach reading, and describes recent collaboration between the
Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian
Department of Education to improve this situation. The fourth part of the
submission addresses the Inquiry’s fourth objective by describing the
assessment methods being used by the Tasmanian Department of Education to
monitor the progress of students’ early reading learning. The fifth part
of the submission makes 14 recommendations to the Inquiry.
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|
286 |
Department of Education and Training, Western Australia
This submission draws on experience in Western Australia of literacy
teaching and professional learning over the past decade, and the record
Western Australian government schools have established in national and
international comparisons of literacy achievement. The submission
discusses the following: the First Steps Language strategy; the Getting It
Right literacy and numeracy strategy; systematic support with monitoring
and assessment; the Aboriginal Literacy Strategy; English as a second
language; and areas for further attention. In its concluding comments the
submission notes the following common elements shared by initiatives to
support literacy teaching in Western Australian government schools: one,
the use of quality assessment information; two, quality professional
learning; three, the influence the need to actively plan for capacity
building has on the professional learning and support provided to
teachers; and last, extra help is directed to those schools and students
with extra needs.
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287 |
Australian Catholic University (ACU), VIC
This submission outlines the philosophical underpinnings of the language
and literacy units in the preservice courses at the Australian Catholic
University and the understandings that are emphasised in the units
including knowledge of phonics, working with a range of texts, and
catering for diverse learners. In this context the submission discusses
current pedagogy around the teaching of reading and reading in the teacher
education program at ACU National (covering primary undergraduate
programs; secondary undergraduate programs; postgraduate programs; and
research).
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288 |
Faculty of Education, University of Technology Sydney, NSW
This submission argues that while an effective reading program includes
the teaching of phonics, it must include all four of the reader roles
defined by Luke and Freebody. The submission stresses that effective
readers use a range of reading strategies depending on the purposes and
context of their reading. For this reason the submission sees any
discussion that attempts to dichotomise so-called ‘whole language’ and
‘phonics’ approaches as fundamentally flawed and as a gross simplification
of the reading process. The submission also argues that literacy learning
needs to be conceptualised as both horizontal (across the curriculum) and
vertical (throughout the whole of schooling); that it is inclusive of
multiliteracies and a critical orientation to text; and that the teaching
of reading must take account of the linguistic and cultural diversity that
characterises classrooms today. Some of the implications of these issues
for teacher education and development are discussed in the final section
of the submission.
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|
289 |
The Smith Family
This submission addresses one of the Inquiry’s terms of reference: the
teaching of reading in Australia’s schools as this is most closely related
to The Smith Family’s goals of promoting social inclusion and enhancing
educational outcomes for disadvantaged Australians. This submission
emphasises the crucial importance of reading literacy, particularly with
regard to educational outcomes for disadvantaged families. Links between
low levels of literacy and continuing social and economic disadvantage are
noted. Furthermore the value of emergent literacy is highlighting the
preventive character of suitable programs for emergent readers. The place
of reading consolidation and programs is also addressed. The submission
also notes the importance of asset building approaches, accompanied by
critical self-reflection on literacy practices, to achieving better
reading outcomes for all students, particularly those from disadvantaged
and diverse backgrounds. The compelling importance of sound literacy
development, within families, schools and communities, for improved
educational achievement and effective social inclusion backgrounds this
submission.
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290 |
Dr Alyson Simpson, Dr Maureen Walsh and Dr Lisa Kervin, NSW
This submission draws attention to the nature of contemporary literacy
needs by describing the complexities of parking a car in a parking lot.
This account shows that success required the driver’s ability draw on her
experiences, her cultural knowledge, her awareness of space, her
interpretation of graphic symbols, images and decoding, and her
comprehension of words. This is typical of the reading processes required
for many of the non-linear texts in today’s society and is relevant to
school children because they too are challenged in their day-to-day lives
with the same complex range of multiple literacy tasks. The submission
also refers to some of the significant research in the area of
multiliteracies.
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291 |
The Specific Learning Difficulties Association of New South
Wales
The submission addresses the specific issue of teacher education and
accreditation and the development of standards for literacy teaching. The
submission canvasses existing practice and makes three recommendations
that relate to teacher preparation. This submission is from SPELD NSW INC,
The Specific Learning Difficulties Association of NSW.
|
|
292 |
Dr Maureen Walsh, NSW
This submission provides a paper titled Reading visual and multimodal
texts: how is ‘reading’ different? which examines the differences
between reading print-based texts and multimodal texts within the context
of changed literacy practices. The writer analyses aspects of a novel, a
picture book and an internet site to determine the similarities and
differences in the way readers would process each text. The ‘affordances’
of modes are considered in relation to a text’s purpose and meaning-making
involved.
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293 |
Mr Paul Sommer, SA
This submission focuses on five main issues: one, literacy as the
responsibility of all teachers; two, particular concerns of middle school
(secondary); three, that a variety of strategies is preferable to a single
approach; four, MyRead, STELLA, NIQTSL – building on existing
resources and opportunities; and last, the importance of developing whole
school approaches based on local knowledge of students and cultures. This
personal submission is from the President, AATE (The Australian
Association for the Teaching of English).
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294 |
The Australian Education Union -ACT Branch, ACT
This submission discusses literacy within several contexts: the
national/international context, the classroom context, the history of the
Inquiry, and the ACT context. In relation to the ACT context, the
submission offers an example of an ACT professional development program in
teaching literacy (The Early Literacy Officer Program) which it says
displays all of the features of an effective model. The submission
includes ACT case studies as examples of best practice in relation to the
Inquiry’s fourth and fifth objectives. The submission also discusses three
other aspects of the ACT system which are related to improved student
literacy outcomes: Reduced Class Sizes in K-3, Parents as Tutors Program
(UC & DET), and Indigenous Students’ Reading Literacy.
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295 |
School of Education, University of Ballarat, VIC
This submission concentrates on pre-service teacher education at the
University of Ballarat, with particular emphasis on teaching reading. The
submission is organised around the following headings: a changing view of
reading and literacy; understanding about reading books; the
reading/writing connection; reading as proficient readers – teaching
comprehension; children with special needs and ‘at risk’ students;
assessment; a scientific approach to reading research;
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296 |
Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Childrens Hospital, VIC
This submission addresses three issues: literacy skills as being critical
to the life chances of each individual; literacy learning begins from
infancy; and 15 to 20 per cent of children have developmental
vulnerabilities that must be understood and addressed individually if they
are to achieve their potential. It makes 11 recommendations relating to
these issues. The submission says that paediatricians are ready to provide
the expert knowledge and practical experience to contribute to the shared
leadership between the education and health sectors from the highest
government level to the most practical community level. The Centre for
Community Child Health is an internationally recognised centre of
excellence supporting and empowering communities to continually improve
the health, wellbeing and quality of life of children and their families,
now and for the future. The Centre promotes good health practices,
preventive action, early detection and early intervention.
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297 |
Parents as Tutors Program, University of Canberra, ACT
This submission describes the Parents as Tutors Program, a two-decade long
collaboration between the University of Canberra and the ACT Department of
Education and Training. This collaboration has ensured that the program is
both grounded in classroom practice and informed by up-to-date research
and theory in literacy teaching and learning.
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298 |
Initial Literacy Australia (ILA)
The submission reports on a survey commissioned by the ILA regarding
initial literacy, and makes seven recommendations. Initial Literacy
Australia (ILA) is an enterprise of Karingal Inc, a Geelong regional
non-profit, community based organization that supports people with
disabilities. The goal of ILA is to establish linkages and network support
for secondary school and adult community education teachers supporting a
wide range of teenage and adult learners at the initial literacy level.
Such learners often come from vulnerable communities and must struggle
daily to gain a voice in our community.
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|
299 |
Dr Janelle Young, QLD
This submission presents findings about young children’s emerging literacy
development and recommends that research and trials be undertaken in
Australia to apply the findings in educational settings. The proposed
trials would be in prior-to-school settings and in the early primary years
and involve children, parents and teachers working together to share
information and experiences. They would try out strategies for measuring
and monitoring emerging literacy in order to improve the long-term
literacy learning outcomes. The writer is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty
of Education at the Australian Catholic University, McAuley Campus.
|
|
300 |
The Australian Federation of SPELD Associations (AUSPELD)
This submission says that it is important for the Inquiry to make findings
that are inclusive of all children in our schools, not just the majority.
The majority of children is fairly well served but there is a significant
minority (perhaps 7 to 10 per cent) whose literacy learning needs are
still not properly catered for, despite the consistent efforts of
organizations such as AUSPELD. The submission points out that AUSPELD
presumes that the primary intention of the Inquiry is ultimately to
develop national literacy benchmarks for Years 3, 5 and 7, against which
all students will be tested and their results reported nationally. It
comments that in order for benchmarks to be useful, however, they need to
be informed by research into the teaching of reading and especially into
the needs of children who, despite normal teaching, do not learn to read
effectively. The results of such research are known and widely accepted,
but on the whole do not translate into classroom practice. Neither, on the
whole, are they reflected in teacher preparation programs in universities.
The submission comments on the objectives of the Inquiry in general and
then makes more specific comments under the first four Inquiry’s
objectives. AUSPELD has, for over 35 years responded to the needs of
children and adults who have Specific Learning Difficulties such as
dyslexia.
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