Auspeld recently provided a response to the Quality Initial Teacher Education Review Discussion Paper. Auspeld’s submission considers the key questions of how best to attract and select high-quality candidates into the teaching profession, and how best to prepare Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students to be effective teachers. To read Auspeld’s submission in full, please go to the link below.
Following the incredible success of the first series of AUSPELD’s Talking Literacy webinars, we are excited to announce the line-up of guests for Series 2!
Talking Literacy features conversations with international experts as they share some of their acquired knowledge, key discoveries and thoughts for the future. The series focuses on the acquisition of language, literacy and numeracy and includes interviews with Stanislas Dehaene, Julie Washington, Natalie Wexler, William Van Cleave, Maria Murray and David Kilpatrick, as well as a special episode to start off the 2021 series featuring three of the world’s leading reading researchers, Kathy Rastle, Kate Nation and Anne Castles.
These interviews (conducted by AUSPELD President Mandy Nayton) will be essential viewing for teachers, administrators, speech pathologists, psychologists and parents concerned about evidence-informed practice in the fields of literacy and learning.
If you have previously registered for Talking Literacy in 2020, you will automatically receive an email notification when each new webinar is released.
If you have yet to register, sign up here.
(If you have previously registered, you can access the webinars here.)
Mark Wednesday March 17th in your calendar and be sure to follow AUSPELD on Facebook and Twitter for updates.
We are pleased to announce the first three speakers in this webinar series…
The first conversation with Carl Hendrick will be released at 3:00pm AWST (5:00pm AEST) on Tuesday 22 September.
If you have colleagues or friends who would like to view the Talking Literacy series, please encourage them to register via:
https://auspeld.org.au/events/talking-literacy/
Registered participants will receive an email link and access code to watch each webinar when it goes live on the scheduled date. If you are not able to view the webinar on the day of its release, please feel free to view (or listen to) the webinars via the link at a time convenient to you.
Carl Hendrick is the co-author of two books: What Does This Look Like in the Classroom: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice and How Learning Happens – Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice. He holds a PhD in education from King’s College and lives in Berkshire, England where he teaches English at Wellington College.
AUSPELD is excited to announce an upcoming new webinar series, featuring conversations with international experts as they share some of their acquired knowledge, key discoveries and thoughts for the future. The series focuses on the acquisition of language, literacy and numeracy and includes interviews with Louisa Moats, Mark Seidenberg, Kate Nation, Carl Hendrick, Paul Kirschner, Daniel Ansari, Pie Corbett, Emily Hanford and Pamela Snow.
These interviews (conducted by AUSPELD President Mandy Nayton) will be essential viewing for teachers, administrators, speech pathologists, psychologists and parents concerned with evidence-informed practice in the fields of literacy and learning. More information about how to register for – and contribute to – these free webinars will be shared soon. Be sure to follow AUSPELD on Facebook or Twitter for updates – https://www.facebook.com/AUSPELD/ https://twitter.com/auspeld
Nessy has been making dyslexia-friendly software for 20 years. The suite of Nessy programs is multisensory and engaging. The Nessy programs incorporate current research evidence and have been carefully designed to provide students with the opportunity to practice and consolidate essential skills in a fun and interactive way.
Nessy workshops for teachers and parents are being held at each state SPELD throughout October. For more information, please follow the links below.
| Thursday 24th October | SPELD Victoria
Community Hub at The Dock, 912 Collins Street, Docklands, Victoria, Australia Time: 6:15pm – 9pm
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| Saturday 26th October | SPELD SA
298 Portrush Road Kensington 5068 Parents: 9am – 11am Teachers: 12.30pm – 2.30pm
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| Monday 28th October | SPELD QLD
141 Merton Road, Woolloongabba, QLD Parents: 9:30am – 12pm Teachers: 3:30pm – 6pm
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| Tuesday 29th October | DSF SPELD (WA)
10 Broome Street, South Perth 6151 Parent session: 9.30am – 12pm
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| Wednesday 30th October | DSF SPELD (WA)
10 Broome Street, South Perth 6151 Teacher session: 4pm – 6.30 pm
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| Thursday 31st October | SPELD NSW
Suite 2, Level 1, 52 O’Connell Street, Parramatta NSW 2015 Parents and Teachers: 10am |
Julian Leeser MP, Member for Berowra NSW, recently raised the importance of high quality early phonics instruction in federal parliament. Mr Leeser emphasised the need for explicit literacy instruction in schools which focuses on the relationships between sounds and letter patterns in English. The CEO of SPELD NSW, Georgina Perry, provided pertinent comments regarding this matter which have been included in Hansard.
Mr Leeser also outlined the success of the year 1 phonics screening test in England and the results of the phonics check trial in South Australia. Ms Perry is quoted as saying, “The phonics check is a valuable tool as it helps teachers confirm their students are learning essential phonics skills and may help identify those students who are having difficulty learning to read.”
Mr Leeser’s speech can be found in Hansard here.
Earlier this year, Federal Education Minister The Honourable Dan Tehan MP announced a review of the Melbourne Declaration. In 2008, the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians was signed by all Australian Education Ministers at the time. It set out two main goals for education in Australia:
Submissions to the review were invited from education stakeholders and community members. AUSPELD and LDA (Learning Difficulties Australia) completed a joint submission which can be viewed here.
This accessible and punchy series, overseen by researchED founder Tom Bennett, tackles the most important topics in education, with a range of experienced contributors exploring the latest evidence and research and how it can apply in a variety of classroom settings.
The value and use of explicit instruction to improve academic outcomes is explored across a range of settings and subject areas. Incorporating compelling evidence from the cognitive sciences, the writers include: Kris Boulton; Greg Ashman; Gethyn Jones; Tom Needham; Lia Martin and Amy Coombe; Naveen Rivzi; Hannah Stoten; John Blake; Sarah Barker; Summer Turner; Sarah Cullen and Zig Englemann. Editor: Adam Boxer.
The most damaging myths that continue to circulate in education settings are identified and discussed in this edition by a selection of evidence informed writers including: Clare Sealy, Tom Sherrington, Andrew Old, Mark Enser, Robert and Elizabeth Bjork, Harry Fletcher Wood, Greg Ashman and Doug Lemov. Editor: Craig Barton.
What do we mean by literacy, why it matters and what happens if we don’t get it right? An exploration of this important area with contributions from: Kathy Rastle, Rhona
Stainthorp, Tom Needham, Alex Quigley, Jessie Ricketts, Kevin and Robyn Wheldall, Kerry Hempenstall and Dianne Murphy. Editors: James Murphy and Tom Bennett.
How can schools get the most out of a rich curriculum? Contributors to this title include: Neil Almond; Andrew Percival; Doug Lemov and Emily Badillo; Sonia Thompson; Christine Counsell; Michael Young; Ruth Ashbee; and Aurora Reid. Editor: Clare Sealy.
Each ResearchED guide is priced at $24 each, or $60 for any three, and $80 for any four.
The Specific Learning Disorders Flow Chart is a useful reference for anyone working with students with SLD. It provides an overview of the types of specific learning disorders including identifying characteristics and underlying processing impairments. The flow chart outlines the functional impact of a learning disorder in the classroom and the implications for intervention. Recommendations for adjustments and accommodations are also detailed. 
Two versions of the flow chart are provided below: a printable version designed to be printed double-sided onto A3 paper, and a PDF version suited to viewing on computer or another electronic device.
Click here to download the printable version – to print double-sided on A3 paper
Click here to download the viewable version
A web version and a downloadable PDF of Understanding Learning Difficulties: A Guide for Parents (Revised Edition) are now available free of charge on the ULD for Parents website.
This Guide has recently been revamped to provide parents and carers with additional information about the nature of learning disabilities in children, and to offer up-to-date practical guidance on the most appropriate identification, intervention and support.
The first AUSPELD Understanding Learning Difficulties: A Practical Guide was published in 2014 and rapidly became a must-have title for any educator or allied professional supporting students with learning difficulties or specific learning disorders. The guides provide readers with an in-depth understanding of learning difficulties and specific learning disorders, and also share advice and practical information on the best approaches to use with students who have learning difficulties or diagnosed specific learning disorders.
Additional information and several new tip sheets have also been added to the latest edition.
You can also purchase hard copies of the parents and other revised guides from the Resources page.
