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Elizabeth Usher Memorial Lecture: Language is literacy is language – Positioning speech-language pathology in education policy, practice, paradigms and polemics

This paper is concerned with the fundamental and intrinsic links between early receptive and expressive oral language competence on...
This paper is concerned with the fundamental and intrinsic links between early receptive and expressive oral language competence on the one hand and the transition to literacy in the early school years and achievement of academic (and life) success...
This paper is concerned with the fundamental and intrinsic links between early receptive and expressive oral language competence on the one hand and the transition to literacy in the early school years and achievement of academic (and life) success on the other. Consequently, it also concerns the professional knowledge base of two key disciplines whose work is central to children's early language and literacy success: teachers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Oral language competence underpins the transition to literacy, which in turn underpins academic achievement. Academic achievement is significant in its own right, conferring opportunities for further education and training post-secondary school, contributing to psychological health and mitigating some of the mental health risks and adversities that can be associated with adolescence and early adulthood. The central thesis is that the linguistic basis of the transition to literacy makes early reading success core business for SLPs. Further, SLPs need a firm grasp of the political and ideological factors that have exerted historical and continuing influence on reading instruction in western nations such as Australia, the US and the UK. This will facilitate the establishment of meaningful working relationships with teaching colleagues, to achieve optimal education outcomes for all children.
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Teaching for growth: effective teaching of literacy and numeracy

Teaching for Growth explored the relationship between children’s growth in literacy and numeracy and teachers’ classroom teaching practices. It...
Teaching for Growth explored the relationship between children’s growth in literacy and numeracy and teachers’ classroom teaching practices. It comprised two related studies: a study of teachers’ practices and children’s growth in literacy in Pre-primary and Year 1; and...
Teaching for Growth explored the relationship between children’s growth in literacy and numeracy and teachers’ classroom teaching practices. It comprised two related studies: a study of teachers’ practices and children’s growth in literacy in Pre-primary and Year 1; and a study of teachers’ practices and children’s growth in numeracy in Year 8.
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Early years literacy and numeracy

In this School Improvement podcast from Teacher magazine, Rebecca Vukovic interviews the Association of Independent Schools New South Wales (AISNSW) Head...
In this School Improvement podcast from Teacher magazine, Rebecca Vukovic interviews the Association of Independent Schools New South Wales (AISNSW) Head of Student Services, Lisa Ridings, about a targeted early years program.
In this School Improvement podcast from Teacher magazine, Rebecca Vukovic interviews the Association of Independent Schools New South Wales (AISNSW) Head of Student Services, Lisa Ridings, about a targeted early years program.
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Tier Two Literacy Interventions in Australian Schools: A Review of the Evidence

The purpose of this review is to summarise the empirical evidence for a range of literacy intervention practices and...
The purpose of this review is to summarise the empirical evidence for a range of literacy intervention practices and programs that are in use in schools in Australia. The review is designed to support schools and teachers in selecting...
The purpose of this review is to summarise the empirical evidence for a range of literacy intervention practices and programs that are in use in schools in Australia. The review is designed to support schools and teachers in selecting interventions that are appropriate and that are evidence-based practices. It focuses on interventions that are currently in use as Tier 2 support, as classified under a Response to Intervention (RTI) multi-tier framework. The review evaluates the alignment of each intervention with effective instructional practices and summarises the existing research evaluating the outcomes of each intervention.
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