Submission Number |
Author |
321 |
Association of Independent Schools of Victoria
(AISV), VIC
This submission draws upon the findings of a survey consultation with
member schools. The survey questions were framed around the Inquiry’s
objectives and the submission draws strongly on the consultation findings.
The submission comments under the following headings: AISV consultation with
member schools; AISV professional development; national and international
research; best practice; teacher training; effective assessment; a
partnership with parents; a role for governments. The submission makes two
recommendations, and in addition includes recommendations made by AISV
member schools.
|
322 |
Australian Centre for Educational Studies, Macquarie
University, NSW
This submission addresses the Inquiry’s objective that relates to
teacher training. It describes the University’s approach to pre-service
teacher education in general and to literacy teaching and learning in
particular, noting that central to its approach is the concept of the
scholar-teacher: one who is flexible, responsive to academic needs and
confident to adapt to changing circumstances. A developmental model that
provides continuous experience in schools working with a mentor teacher is
used for the practicum. The submission also discusses quality assurance
processes.
|
323 |
Ms Marion de Lemos, VIC
This submission draws attention to some of the issues that the writer
says that the Inquiry will need to address if it is to achieve its
objectives. These issues relate to the following: the need for the Inquiry
to focus on the initial teaching of reading; the question of what
constitutes a balanced program of reading instruction; the role of the
parent and the role of the teacher in beginning reading; the role of
assessment (as a tool to monitor students’ progress and as a tool for the
evaluation of the effectiveness of approaches to the teaching of reading)
and different types of intervention program. Ms de Lemos is a retired
psychologist and educational researcher.
|
324 |
Chapter of Community Child Health, Paediatric and Child
Health Division, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, NSW
This submission addresses key points under the following headings:
literacy pathways begin before school starts; disadvantage is a key
determinant of literacy outcomes; early intervention is critical to
addressing literacy and learning difficulties; it is vital that children
with learning and language difficulties receive sustained support and
resources; and creating better partnerships between health and education is
critical. The core objectives of the Paediatrics & Child Health Division of
the Royal Australasian College of Physicians are training and assessment;
advocacy; professional development; policy development; communication;
workforce; partnerships; and leadership and governance.
|
325 |
The Australian Principals Associations Professional
Development Council (APAPDC)
This submission presents the following key issues for the Inquiry: that
teachers and their leaders are central to the solution to whatever issues
are identified; that principals and their leadership teams are central to
the success of in-school professional learning; and that the Inquiry will
maximise its impact by maintaining good lines of communication with
principals and other school leaders. The submission also describes the work
of the APAPDC’s ‘Dare to Lead’ project which seeks to help schools close the
gap between the educational outcomes of their Indigenous and non-Indigenous
students. The APAPDC is a collaboration between the four national
associations of school principals: the Australian Primary Principals
Association; the Australian Secondary Principals Association; the
Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia; and the
Association of Principals of Catholic Secondary School of Australia.
|
326 |
Confidential
|
327 |
Game Time 4 Kids, NSW
This submission draws the Inquiry’s attention to a multi-media
educational package called Game Time 4 Kids that targets the teaching
of literacy / numeracy and music.
|
328 |
Elect Communication Training Pty Ltd, WA
This submission draws the Inquiry’s attention to the Sound Way
programs which are interactive video/DVD based programs developed by an
Australian primary school teacher to teach the fundamental literacy skills
of spelling, writing and reading.
|
329 |
Name Not Made Public
This submission describes the difficulties experienced by the writer’s
husband and daughter, both of whom are dyslexic, and indicates that that
Ilern Lenses and the program developed by Ron Davis helped. The submission
makes the following points: a visual kinaesthetic approach should be used in
every classroom; the Davis Method is an extremely valuable tool as an
addition to existing literacy practices; according to their needs children
need to be exposed to all methods of teaching literacy; and trainee teachers
need to be taught styles and methods of learning and taught to assess the
learning style of their students.
|
330 |
Mr David Evans, VIC
This submission provides the writer’s views on three of the Inquiry’s
objectives (regarding the effective teaching of reading; the assessment of
reading proficiency; and teacher education) on the basis of his experience.
|
331 |
Blind Citizens Australia
This submission says that the use by governments of definitions of
literacy that exclude people who are blind or vision impaired leads to
literacy policies that do not include all Australian children. The
submission calls on the government to introduce a systemic Braille teaching
program for teachers to equip them to reverse the decline in Braille
literacy that is evident among young blind people. The submission indicates
that BCA’s mission is to achieve for blind or vision impaired people equity
and equality through empowerment, by promoting positive community attitudes
and by striving for high quality and accessible services which meet their
needs.
|
332 |
Name Not Made Public
This submission describes the difficulties the writer’s two children had
with learning to read, and attributes this in large part to the whole
language approach. The submission says that the bottom-up phonic method of
teaching reading, combined with some look and say with sight words, is the
method that research shows is the most successful.
|
333 |
Mrs Mary Schwenke, QLD
This submission takes the form of a personal history that outlines the
writer’s experiences of literacy teaching and the knowledge she has gained
over many decades as a student, a student teacher, a teacher, a parent, a
grandparent and a writer of books for teachers and children. The submission
makes five recommendations.
|
334 |
Quantum Literacy, QLD
This submission informs the Inquiry about Quantum Literacy, a
partnership that aims to improve standards of literacy by providing
appropriate resources, and training teachers and tutors to teach
linguistically sound, research-based language skills. This submission
addresses: the Inquiry objectives that relate to national and international
research about literacy teaching approaches; the extent to which prospective
teachers are provided with reading teaching approaches and skills that are
effective; and the effectiveness of assessment methods.
|
335 |
Spalding Education Australia, NSW
This submission explains that Spalding Education Australia (SEA) is
responsible for training programs and support for The Spalding Method - a
‘total language arts’ teaching methodology used extensively in Australia,
the US and in parts of Asia. The submission provides information on the
Spalding method, and discusses both research evidence on how children learn
to read, and Spalding in practice. The submission makes three
recommendations.
|
336 |
Dr Mary Macken-Horarik, ACT
This submission brings to the Inquiy’s attention the Scaffolding
Literacy program which has been developed at the University of Canberra and
the Parents as Tutors Program that currently works with over 80 families
each year in the ACT. The program informs parents and caregivers about the
nature of literacy learning and how best to teach reading, spelling and
writing. It also models teaching strategies for parents and children by
means of weekly sessions in an individual assistance program.
|
337 |
Ms Mary Alderson, WA
This submission says that because teachers in schools are required to
work with groups, not individuals, they cannot use more than one method at a
time. The submission sets out what assistance teachers need in these
circumstances, noting that such assistance is not only relevant in the early
grades at school but is also relevant in the preschool centre. The
submission describes the learning method and other aspects of the writer’s
book Preschoolers Can Read.
|
338 |
Mr John Johannessen, VIC
This submission makes the following points: reading is the most pleasant
of subjects to teach; children need sincere praise and to experience success
in their work; students should be kept busy with language activities that
give them an appreciation of our language; tracing over and sounding out
letters and words is the way to succeed in teaching reading; many teachers
do not know the 44-45 sounds of our language; and teachers cannot assume
that students come to school well nourished or from environments that are
conducive to learning.
|
339 |
Primary English Teaching Association (PETA)
This submission emphasises that it is important that the Inquiry focus
on meeting the needs of all students and in particular students who are
experiencing difficulty in learning to be literate, noting that support for
such children requires more than decoding letter-sound relationships. The
submission comments on the Inquiry’s terms of reference and discusses:
approaches to teaching reading; where Australia is internationally (PISA
reading literacy results); national benchmark standards; classroom
assessment practices; and last, informing classroom teaching practice and
supporting teacher professional learning. PETA is a professional association
representing approximately 6,000 primary teachers and schools nationally.
|
340 |
Ms Margaret Graham, NSW
This submission recommends the DIPL (Doorway into Practical Literacy)
program for use within classrooms and in the training of teachers. The
program is described as outcomes based, structured, sequential and very
thorough, and is claimed to give novice teachers the direction they often
need in establishing a high quality reading program with their class.
|
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