Sight words are a special high frequency category of words that students are instructed to recognise automatically. The term ‘sight word’ can mean several different things: high frequency words; phonetically irregular words; or familiar words that require no effort to recall (orthographic lexicon or sight vocabulary). When educators refer to sight words they are usually […]
Read MoreHave you caught up on our previous posts, The Importance of Strong Oral Language and Vocabulary Skills for Later Literacy Success and Improving Oral Language? PLD believes oral language skills form the foundations of literacy and are essential academic success. For children, repeated exposure to a rich language environment at school and in the home, […]
Read MoreDid you catch our previous post, The Importance of Strong Oral Language Skills & Language for Literacy Success? We discussed how to create a high quality oral language program to foster a high quality learning environment and the importance of consolidating oral language skills between the home and school. In this three part series we […]
Read MoreOral language skills form the foundation of literacy and academic success. A solid foundation of oral language helps children become successful readers, strong communicators, as well as increasing their confidence and overall sense of well-being. The ability to use oral language effectively impacts all areas of a child’s life; from their ability to learn in […]
Read MoreWith our increasing use of technology, is it necessary to teach children handwriting? Research suggests that the benefits of teaching handwriting go beyond simply writing (Dinehart, 2014). There is increasing evidence of a link between the fine motor skills required in handwriting and the development of cognitive skills which lay the foundation for later academic […]
Read MoreParent education sessions are a key way for educators to share tips on how parents can prepare their children for school and what they will learn. Typically conducted on an annual basis, parent sessions give the school the chance to equip their community with the tools that will reinforce their school based learning. PLD has developed […]
Read MoreLearning to communicate using language is a remarkable achievement of early childhood. The progression of language development is very similar across children and even across languages. All children regardless of the language spoken begin their journey of communication with a focus on sounds and engage in behaviours such as cooing and babbling. Over time they […]
Read MoreIn my time travelling to different schools and conducting seminars with educators, I often highlight the fact that attendance at school is important and essential for children to learn. However it’s important to point out that on its own, attendance will not raise literacy standards. This is particularly the case for remote schools and those […]
Read MoreDuring April and May 2015, Emeritus Professor Bill Louden investigated and prepared a case study report on the school operations and pedagogical practices in place in nine high performing primary schools as measured by NAPLAN. The intention of the investigation was to inform the Department of Education’s understanding of the conditions required for a school […]
Read MoreIt’s clear there’s a broad gap between research findings being published and the application of the same findings in the classroom.
In a recent Weekend West Opinion article,”Read the signs – it’s time for a brave new teaching world”, by Alanna MacTiernan, a bold challenge is proposed to our education system as a whole. Failing a significant number of our students and adhering to outdated and unsupported research frameworks, it’s disturbing reading. I wish I could say I’m surprised but I’m not.
Read MoreWe recently received the following query regarding our Preparing for the Alphabet Pack (along with many others) and have tried to set up sound packs based on each letter of the alphabet. I have noticed that there are no vowels in the publication. Is this intentional? If this is intentional why so? And do you have something similar based on the vowel sounds? Jessica N The following may be useful to other teachers and parents introducing their students to the alphabet.
Read MoreThe WA Department of Education schools focus for 2020 has just been released, have you had a chance to check it out? If not, you can view or download a copy here as a PDF: https://www.education.wa.edu.au/dl/1zxeed For 2020 Western Australian schools are, among others, focusing on: Support learners to make the best start with access […]
Read MoreLet us be calm when reading the 2019 PISA results and not point the blame solely at teachers. The report reminds us that there is much work to be done at the teacher training level, the curriculum level and also the classroom/school level. Firstly, the recommendations from the Independent Review of the Teaching of Early […]
Read MoreSynthetic Phonics is the gold standard, evidence-based approach to teaching literacy, which suggests the fastest pathway into literacy is knowledge of alphabet sounds and phonic sounds. Students require alphabet knowledge in order to embark on the process of learning to read and spell. However, rather than letter naming ability, letter sound knowledge is the more […]
Read MoreToday's post relates to the controversy that exists in Australian schools over the use of Cursive versus foundation font for Kindergarten to year 2 students and is prompted by an email from a recent PLD Learning Resources professional development day attendee.
Read MoreEvidence shows that rhyming is not necessarily the most evidence based of pedagogical choices or the simplest phonological awareness skill to master.
Read MoreWhat is the UK Phonics Check? The UK Phonics Check is administered nationally within the United Kingdom to all students towards the end of year 1. The 7 minute screen involves presenting 40 words for students to read. These words are a mix of real and nonsense (or pseudo-words) which assess a student’s ability to […]
Read MoreA hot topic in the primary education community at the moment is screening and assessments; why they should be carried out, how regularly, and how much is too much. In this blog post we discuss the reasons why screening your students is important and provide tools and calendars to help make it easier for you […]
Read MoreTerm 1 marches on and decodable reading books and sight words continue to be hot topics of debate. In this newsletter we clarify some of the confusion surrounding these debated topics and conclude with an overview of the questions asked most frequently in Term 1. Are we providing the best reading books for our young […]
Read MoreThe beginning of the school year is an incredibly busy time of the year. Despite the workload ahead of all of you, it is imperative that schools start their year well. With this in mind, we’ve developed the following 2019 Semester 1 Checklists for teachers, school leaders and those new to PLD which should greatly […]
Read MoreAs we start to finalise this school year and prepare for the next, now is an ideal time to reflect on what has been in place and what needs to be updated. Within this process, educators should be guided by research. From this context, I am suggesting that educators engage with some readings linked below. […]
Read MoreThe 2018 Australian Educational Publishing Awards were recently held in Melbourne. Celebrating its 25th year, the awards evening brings together publishers to acknowledge excellence and award businesses going above and beyond for the advancement of students. PLD received one of the major awards, Primary Publisher of the Year. In a field of large and international […]
Read MoreResearch tells us again and again it’s essential we get it right when students are first learning to read. The bleak reality is that once children start to fall behind their peers, even with special funding and programs, it is difficult for many to catch up. With this in mind, this blog is devoted to […]
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