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Welcome to Learning Difficulties Australia

Learning Difficulties Australia is an association of teachers and other professionals dedicated to assisting students with learning difficulties through effective teaching practices based on scientific research, both in the classroom and through individualised instruction.
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The Science of Effective Reading Instruction: Theory and Practice

Perth | Saturday 31 July 2021   Not sure how a comprehensive reading approach taught explicitly looks like? Join Associate Professor Lorraine Hammond, Jared Bussell, Jordan O’Sullivan and Brooke Wardana for a day that focuses on both the Science of Reading and how to teach it.
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Join a community of professionals committed to effective teaching.

By becoming a member of LDA, you will have an opportunity to meet fellow teachers, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, researchers and other professionals working in the field of education who have a passion for improving student outcomes through effective instruction based on scientific research.

Members receive regular LDA publications via post, including the LDA Bulletin and the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties as well as member discounts for participation in workshops, seminars and conferences.

You will also have access to the ‘Members Only’ areas of our website where you can obtain past issues of our publications as well as conference and seminar notes.

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Latest Publication

Bulletin, Volume 53, No 1, April 2021

Volume 53, No 1, April 2021
The central theme of this issue is comprehension – one of the basic dimensions of the Simple View of…
The central theme of this issue is comprehension – one of the basic dimensions of the Simple View of Reading. We all know intuitively what it feels like to understand (or not understand, or only partly understand) something that…
The central theme of this issue is comprehension – one of the basic dimensions of the Simple View of Reading. We all know intuitively what it feels like to understand (or not understand, or only partly understand) something that we read or hear, but the concept of ‘comprehension’ is difficult to define objectively, and it becomes even more elusive when we try to assess it. Comprehension presents teachers with huge challenges in the classroom. It is not only difficult to know when a student is not understanding and why they are not understanding, but also a challenge to know what to do to help. Supporting comprehension, however, is one of the most important things a teacher can do.
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Events

LDA Blog

The Science of Effective Reading Instruction: Theory and Practice

Not sure how a comprehensive reading approach taught explicitly looks like? Join Associate Professor Lorraine Hammond, Jared Bussell, Jordan…
Not sure how a comprehensive reading approach taught explicitly looks like? Join Associate Professor Lorraine Hammond, Jared Bussell, Jordan O’Sullivan and Brooke Wardana for a day that focuses on both the Science of Reading and how to teach it.
Not sure how a comprehensive reading approach taught explicitly looks like? Join Associate Professor Lorraine Hammond, Jared Bussell, Jordan O’Sullivan and Brooke Wardana for a day that focuses on both the Science of Reading and how to teach it.
Read More Read More

Effective Instruction

Teachers are a major force for improving society. To be successful, the teaching profession must base its instructional practices on the results of good quality empirical research, and this involves keeping abreast of scientific developments. One of LDA’s main goals is to keep bridging the gaps between evolving scientific knowledge and members of the teaching profession, including educational policy makers, teacher education faculties, and teachers at the chalkface. Visit the skill areas below to learn about initiatives, approaches and programs that are being used effectively in each area.

Reading
Reading is a complex skill and it is a relatively recent invention, as far as human timelines go. Unlike speaking and listening, humans aren’t predisposed to develop reading skills naturally.
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Spelling
Reading and spelling are closely linked, but also draw on different skills and processes. At the most basic level, spelling is a production task while reading is one of recognition.
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Writing
As with reading, writing is not a natural skill and therefore must be taught. Unfortunately, many teachers do not feel well prepared to teach writing.
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Numeracy
Numeracy is a concept that is referred to as the ability to make use of mathematical concepts adeptly in our daily lives.
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