The Teacher's Tool Kit For Literacy

As one of the all-time greats of Australian rock music, Paul Kelly AO needs no introduction, but here’s a very brief summary. 

The singer-songwriter and guitarist has released 18 studio albums since 1…

When it comes to teaching spelling, teachers often wrestle with a few key questions:

"What is most important to teach about spelling?"

"How can I teach so that there is  transfer of spelling knowledge …

Many teachers will often see students pick up spelling and word knowledge, but struggle to transfer it to their writing.

To talk about teaching spelling within the context of writing, we're joined by …

As teachers, it is important to help our learners transform their thinking through talk. A thought can stay a thought only until it is transformed through talk. Until I can say it out loud, I can’t r…

When it comes to the art of persuasion in writing we tend to focus on structure, but the power is in the purpose.  

As a teacher, it's about shifting focus from ‘I must teach persuasive writing’ to op…

For many teachers, getting students ready for standardised testing can be a worry. In Australia we have NAPLAN. 

As teachers we want to  know what preparation makes a difference, and what we don’t hav…

This podcast episode has been designed around the research about motivation to read, and how Giselle has intentionally orchestrated her classroom, her tasks and her teaching. 

Giselle first joined us …

Teaching the craft of writing to students is no easy task.

Kids may need to improve their beginnings, endings, sentences and more ... but where do teachers start?

According to Sharon, it is all about '…

Mike Dumbletonis a writer and Literacy Consultant.  He has worked in South Australian high schools, New York City schools and as a Literacy Curriculum Officer for the South Australian Education Depar…

As a teacher it can be tough to inspire and motivate young people to write. 

How can we get our writers to be engaged,  experimenting with their reading, seeing themselves as writers, creating rich ra…

The legendary Mem Fox has inspired generations of writers, readers, creators and teachers all over the world. 

In 1983 Mem became Australia’s best-selling writer. Possum Magic, her first book, is stil…

"As a teacher, you don't want your students to resist reading. You want them to burn to read, be engaged and be impacted on a number of levels through the books they read and the way you teach.  The …

Frank Smith, one of the literacy greats, said: "We learn from the company we keep." 

He said our role as teachers is to  "ensure children have access to reading materials that are relevant to the kind…

How can teachers help their students write meaningfully about their reading, instead of writing answers to predetermined questions, which typically produce low levels of thinking and engagement? 

This…

Losing momentum is a common trap for many teachers, especially in literacy and numeracy. 

So how can we maximise every second of learning time?

Rob Vingerhoets joins the show to share his insights on t…

As teachers there are always so  many things we are being asked to do, cover, implement and introduce to our students. 

For Sharon Callen, a breakthrough came through one of the most practical literac…

Maddie is teaching Reception in South Australia.

She shares her story, including starting out in teaching, a year of rapid growth and how she has learned to quickly apply her learning.

In this discussi…

Sometimes teachers feel like they struggle to get bang for buck from bigger and longer lessons. 

But when it comes to literacy, Mini Lessons can be used strategically and effectively.

So, what is an ef…

Most teachers know the importance of reading aloud but the research also backs this up.

• Reading aloud has been found to be the most significant factor in the development of literacy levels of young ch…

It’s the nature of the profession that we’re always learning. And particularly as literacy consultant and expert, Sharon Callen spends time looking at old practices vs new ways to think about teachin…