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This paper reports provisional Australian comparison data and scoring instructions for theTest of Word Reading Efficiency(TOWRE). The TOWRE is a popular reading fluency test used in reading research, classroom assessment and clinical practice. Approximate ‘norms’ were obtained from children attending four primary schools in New South Wales. Results suggested that the US norms for the TOWRE may overestimate the reading level of Australian children in lower grades and that the performance on the two parallel forms (A and B) of the subtests (Sight Word EfficiencyandPhonemic Decoding Efficiency) of the TOWRE did not differ from each other. While no performance differences were found between boys and girls overall, it was noted that the youngest boys outperformed the youngest girls on Form A of the Sight Word Efficiency subtest, and the youngest girls outperformed the youngest boys on Form B of the Sight Word Efficiency subtest. Limitations of the current study are discussed and a brief reference is made to a new (2012) edition of TOWRE (TOWRE-2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is considerable interest and controversy in the community concerning how our students are faring in the task of mastering reading. Broad scale assessment, formerly at a State level and now at a National level (NAPLAN), is potentially valuable in helping answer this question in a broad sense. However, there are limitations to the value of this style of testing when the only tasks included are those intended to assess reading comprehension. It is unquestionably a major function of reading, but not the only important component. The assessment of other critical components can supply valuable information not available in the NAPLAN process. For example, other forms of assessment can assist in the identification and management of students at-risk even before reading instruction commences. They can also help identify those making slow progress at any year level. This is especially important given the usually stable learning trajectory from the very early stages. If specific interventions are implemented, appropriate reading assessment can provide ongoing information about the effectiveness of the chosen approach. There is an important question implicit in this potentially valuable activity. What sorts of assessment are likely to be most beneficial in precluding reading pitfalls and enhancing reading success? In this paper, the emphasis is directed towards assessment of those aspects of reading that have been identified by research as critical to reading development. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

This study explored the educational and employment profiles and the psychosocial wellbeing of 65 Australian adults with dyslexia. Participants were also asked about their age at diagnosis of dyslexia. These domains have been under studied in the Australian adult dyslexic community. Data was collected using an anonymous online two-part survey. Part one was purpose-designed to collect personal and demographic information in line with the study's aims. Part two comprised the standardised Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scales (WEMWBS). Results revealed that participants' educational attainments and employment profiles closely reflected those of the general Australian community. Age at diagnosis was highly variable ranging from adolescence to over 50. Based on the normative data from the WEMWBS, participants had significantly lower levels of mental wellbeing. Results suggest that despite many participants meeting key external markers of success, many appear to do so under personal and psychological strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literacy interventions are a common educational response for supporting students with literacy difficulties. Australian schools historically offered such programs,, though recent studies were not found in the research literature. This paper reports on school-level and literacy intervention data for a randomly selected sample of 366 schools, from across Australia's five more populous states. Interventions were offered by 52% of schools in the sample. Programs offered were grouped by theoretical emphasis for analysis. Constructivist interventions were most frequently offered, followed by cognitive, and other, programs. Statistically significant differences in the frequency and types of interventions offered were identified between states and sectors. An increase in cognitively oriented interventions and programs for small groups of students was identified. These findings are discussed in relation to policy documents and research literature. Recommendations are made for research into schools' intervention choices, the longitudinal impact of particular programs, and provision for students with more complex literacy difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides data on patterns of schools' learning intervention provision in 2017, and discusses the utility of online sources to gather this information. Demographic, achievement, and intervention data were collected for a sample of 366 schools offering primary education across Australia's five more populous states. Intervention offerings were analysed in relation to schools' demographic and achievement characteristics. General academic and literacy interventions were commonly offered, with statistically significant differences identified between the reported intervention offerings of schools in different states and sectors. Report of offering intervention/s was not associated with either schools' size or levels of NAPLAN achievement. The results are compared with the 1998 "Survey of Schools" on primary students with learning difficulties in Australia, and discussed in relation to research literature and educational policy. Future directions for: a) research into intervention provision in Australian schools; and b) utilizing online sources to explore educational research questions are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a nascent movement towards evidence-based practice in education in Australia, evident in Federal and State education documents, if not in classrooms. Such a classroom-level outcome would require a number of conditions to be met. One of the critical requirements is that teachers be provided with knowledge and training in practices that have an acceptable evidence base, in other words to knowwhat works. Many reformers pin their hopes on systematic reviews to provide the information. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that this expectation may not be easily met, especially in the short term. This paper considers some of the recent issues that have muddied the waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many tests used in educational settings to identify learning difficulties endeavour to pick up only the lowest performers. Yet these tests are generally developed within a Classical Test Theory (CTT) paradigm that assumes that data do not have significant skew. Rasch analysis is more tolerant of skew and was used to validate two newly developed tests of phonological and orthographic processing. These tests were administered to 172 Victorian Grade 3 students so that preliminary chronological norms could be generated. Despite a level of skew that would cause difficulties in a CTT paradigm, the tests were found to be acceptable as per Rasch analysis and, as such, provide additional and important information on poor-performing students. Preliminary norms for the test are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable effort, progress in ‘closing the gap’ in literacy and in school retention in Indigenous communities is very slow. The reasons for continuing problems are many and various and are generally known at social and environmental levels. In this paper, I identify and emphasize the importance of proximal factors in understanding difficulties in learning to read competently. These are influences that are closer to the actual process of learning to read, since they reside within the child and family, and strongly influence the early pathways into success in reading. These factors are not specific, they apply to all beginning readers, but they have been neglected in the many attempts to improve academic success in Indigenous children. They include particularly a degree of competence in the English language and knowledge of the basic building blocks of successful reading skills. While no-one would deny that maintaining Indigenous cultural languages is important, the hard fact is that all children need to read the English language if they are to fulfill their educational promise in Australian society. Early failure in this task sets up risks of entrenched learning difficulties and a cascade of negative effects on school experiences and on social adaptation and mental health. Hence, prevention and early intervention to prepare children for school is critical to their futures. I argue that collaboration with families and communities in attending to the need for building school readiness in their children is essential for better outcomes in Indigenous education. In addition, better training in teaching methods based on the science of reading is a basic necessity if teachers are to meet the challenges they find in their classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controversy has surrounded the annual National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) since its introduction in 2008. This initiative was designed to provide nationally consistent information on student progress in basic skills in years 3, 5, and 7, replacing the various state-based tests that preceded it. A great deal of criticism has been generated, particularly by teacher organisations and education faculties, and published prominently in the media. Parents have been understandably concerned when they hear their children's teachers calling for the end to NAPLAN. This paper takes the position that, despite its current shortcomings, a national assessment program is an essential pre-requisite to the progress of education in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a popular if controversial initiative developed largely in the USA, but which is, as yet, little known in general education in Australia. However, this may change given the increased attention to accountability in recent times. The national NAPLAN and international PISA assessments are leading to pressure being placed on schools to lift student performance. It is possible that RTI may be seen by school systems as a means of providing data demonstrating effectiveness, and also a way of providing a direction for schools' responses to that data. The expectation that general education teachers provide evidence-based instruction and regular progress monitoring would, however, represent a significant change when compared to current practice in Australia. This paper presents a brief history of the development of RTI, an introduction to the RTI framework and its application in regular and special education. It also examines some of the issues that would arise if it were to be introduced into Australian mainstream education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In many schools in Australia students often begin their primary years with limited preparation for reading. ‘All hands on deck’ are required to ensure the best possible student success rate for learning to read. In this project, Education Assistants, often under-utilised in schools, were used to implement a reading intervention to struggling readers in years one to three. Education Assistants were trained to withdraw students in small groups and engage students in an explicit, systematic early reading program. The intervention was implemented in a cognitively and emotionally supportive manner and the Education Assistants were trained using autonomy support, collaboration and reflection. Results showed encouraging growth in reading skills for all student age groups compared to the rest of the class. The Education Assistants responded well to the initial and ongoing training processes, refining their teaching skills and the intervention over the period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent Australian and international government reports refer to the importance of teacher knowledge in the sound structure of language and its relationship to beginning reading. In this study, a group of 162 pre-service teachers responded to a questionnaire including questions related to their attitudes towards using phonics instruction in the teaching of reading, their knowledge of phonemic awareness and how well prepared they felt to teach beginning reading. Results indicated that most pre-service teachers agreed that phonics was important in teaching reading. However, even though most teachers were able to correctly identify the concept of a phoneme, most could not transfer this knowledge to the counting of phonemes in words. Results also indicated that most pre-service teachers did not feel well prepared to teach beginning readers. It is suggested that these teachers need explicit training in understanding the sound structure of language in order to become effective teachers of reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]