LDA is an association of teachers and other professionals dedicated to assisting students with learning difficulties through effective teaching practices based on scientific research.
Announcements
LDA Award Presentations in Melbourne 21 March 2015 - to include
2014 AJLD EMINENT Researcher Award to Dr Louisa Moats
2014 Mona Tobias Award to Mandy Nayton
Special Award to Emeritus Professor Kevin Wheldall – in recognition of his services to LDA, particularly his contribution to our LDA publications.
See 2015 LDA Awards at:
When / Where: 4.30 to 6.00 Saturday 21 March, Ibis Hotel following the Dr. Louisa Moats Professional Day
Click here for full details of the LDA Award Presentations 2015
Click here for details of award recipients.
2015 LDA 50th Anniversary Celebration March 2015 – Professional Learning Tour with Dr. Louisa Moats
Dr Louisa Moats, internationally renowned specialist in reading difficulties and recipient of the 2014 LDA AJLD Eminent Researcher Award and 2013 Orton Award from the International Dyslexia Association for her outstanding contributions to the field of learning difficulties, will tour Australia as part of LDA’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Dr. Moats will present at various events in Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne (Full Day) and Melbourne (Half Day), providing a theoretical and practical perspective on research-based literacy instruction. Her presentations will include insights into why learning to read is difficult, what factors are necessary for effective code-based instruction and how best to teach vocabulary and comprehension.
Call for Submissions and Workshops
Instruct to Improve: Creating Better Practice in the Classroom. Biennial Conference hosted by LDA, SPELD QLD and LSTAQ - Brisbane 18 -19 September 2015.
Call for submissions and Workshops
Click here for full details.
Other upcoming LDA Events
Click here for Conference & Seminar information.
Current Issues
The National Curriculum
LDA references to lack of teacher training in the teaching of phonics and understanding phonics role in learning to read were quoted in the National Curriculum Review: Click here to see LDA's submission or click here to see the Review.
Is Reading Recovery failing the New Zealand Literacy Strategy - what is the evidence?
Massey University academics Professors Bill Tunmer and James Chapman presented evidence indicating the remedial reading program Reading Recovery has failed in NZ and needs to be replaced with one that targets children most at risk of failing to learn to read.
Click here for the relevant Reading Recovery research, to hear Professors Tunmer and Chapman present and other resources.
October 2014 issue of LDA Bulletin now FREE to download!
Take advantage of LDA’s special offer to non-members of LDA to download the October issue of the LDA Bulletin. Click here to download.
Members of LDA can access back issues of the Bulletin from the Members Only section of this website. To join LDA, click here.
Recent Publications
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 Volume 46, No 3, Oct 2014 |
Volume 19, No 1, May 2014 |
Current & past issues  |
Past issues |
NOTE: LDA Members can access complete back issues in the Members Only Section.
Professional Learning
March 2015 – LDA National Tour with Dr Louisa Moats
Dr Louisa Moats, recipient of LDA’s AJLD Eminent Researcher Award, will be visiting Australia in March 2015. Dr Moats has written extensively on the importance of code-based literacy instruction and better teacher preparation in many influential scientific journals, books and policy documents. Her Award paper, entitled What Teachers Don’t Know and Why They Aren’t Learning It: Addressing the Need for Content and Pedagogy in Teacher Education, will be published in the November issue of the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties (Volume 19, No 2). Louisa Moats, a leading critic of the whole language approach to teaching reading, has contributed widely to the body of reading and spelling instruction knowledge.
Further background information on Louisa Moats click here.
Click here to read Lousia Moats article Systematic, not "balanced" instruction in the October 2014 LDA Bulletin.
Click here for Louisa Moats significant paper Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science and more Louisa Moats Resources.
To book for Louisa Moats Tour Events:
Click here for Sydney
Click here for the Gold Coast
Click here for Brisbane
Click here for Perth
Click here for Melbourne Saturday, 21st March 2015
Click here for Melbourne Monday 23rd March 2015
Resources:
Book Shop - essential Explicit Teaching & Response to Intervention Numeracy & other resources
DVDs of LDA Research Seminars
MOTIf: An assessment resource for researchers and professionals