Marshall Roberts - Putting the tract in tractor: Dragging literacy out of the dark ages - TAS Branch
Marshall Roberts talks about his family’s journey into home tutoring and literacy advocacy. Marshall will discuss his family’s background story, what fired him up, what he’s learnt along the way, some parallels between education and farming cultures (yes, really!) and what he’d do differently in hindsight. He will also share some reflections and information for other parents who may be just at the point of thinking “something’s not right”.
SA Branch: Tier 2 Intervention for Secondary Students
This session will share the innovative practice of two speech pathologists and the literacy leadership teams they work with at Craigmore High School and Parafield Gardens High School.Grounded in the science of reading, a wave 2 evidence-informed reading intervention program for year 7 and 8 students who have word reading (decoding) ages between 6 to 10 years will be outlined. Participants will gain an understanding of the assessment process, the intervention, and positive outcomes achieved across the two schools.This presentation is relevant to primary and high school teachers and leaders who have an interest in improving student reading ability, or who are curious about what Speech Pathology can offer in a high school setting or adolescent reading intervention space.
What it takes to shift practice - Montello Primary School's Journey towards structured literacy
As a small, regional primary school with a vulnerable student population, the leadership of Montello Primary School knew that changes were needed to support their students to become proficient readers. Over the course of a year, the school has trained staff and implemented a structured literacy approach in their early years classrooms. This hasn't come without challenges, but Dion McCall (Principal) and Ruby Moore (Quality Teaching Coach) are ready to share preliminary data, experiences and wisdom with other schools thinking of embarking on a similar journey. In this session, Jocelyn Seamer will facilitate a conversation with Dion and Ruby about their methodology, motivations and future plans for structured literacy in their school.
NSW Branch - Jun 2022 Meeting with Pam Snow
Exclusive to NSW members, with special guest Prof Pamela Snow!! We held this informal meeting to continue the conversations within our networks. In light of the changes to NSW English Syllabus, and invited you to have a read two articles from Pamela Snow ahead of the meeting.
Trauma informed schooling and EDI - An intentional approach to social and academic success - SA Branch
James Kelly and Dave Pascoe presented on the contextual and sustainable approach to Trauma Informed Practice at Elizabeth Vale Primary School. Key elements will be: the importance of intentionality, predictability, consistency and communication in a trauma informed school and some tips that we would give to others on a similar journey. From here, the workshop will provide a snapshot of Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) as a pedagogy for learning and how it complements the trauma informed approach. It will provide a very clear idea of what EDI is and what EDI is not and some practical uses in a classroom setting.
Oral Language in the Classroom across K-12: Kathryn Thorburn - NSW Branch
What role does oral language play in supporting student literacy & learning across the curriculum? Does it matter beyond the first year of school? What impact does oral language skills have on learning to read and reading comprehension?
Kathryn Thorburn is a dual qualified Speech Pathologist and Teacher with a Masters in Special Education. She has 25 years experienced as a Speech Pathologist and runs a small private practice, Language and Learning. Kathryn will provide an in-depth look at oral language in the Classroom across the school years. She understands first hand the demands placed on classroom teachers and strives to make the complex practical to support schools to support learners in the most effective, time and resource efficient manner possible.
Challenge Accepted: Practical Actions for Reading Success - Jocelyn Seamer - TAS Branch
In this session, Jocelyn shared her experiences from her work in some of Australia's remotest schools and outline the necessary components for evidence informed literacy practices in the early primary years. Focusing on practical and realistic actions, Jocelyn will invite you to consider the steps we might take to move closer to the evidence and create success and growth for every child, everywhere.
Quality Differentiated Teaching Starts at Wave 1 - Stuart Kitto - SA Branch
Stuart Kitto is a former principal who has been working in central office roles around disability policy and practice for the last 2 years. In this talk, he discussed the evidence around inclusion, and how schools might use waves of intervention to minimise the risk of learners slipping through the gaps. He makes some practical suggestions for schools looking to be more systematic and strategic in their approaches to planning, monitoring and stretching the learning of all.
TAS Branch - How revolutionary is The Writing Revolution? - Dr Damon Thomas
See how we launched the TAS Branch of TFE, and hear from special guest, Dr Damon Thomas from the University of Tasmania on: How revolutionary is The Writing Revolution?
QLD Branch - Inaugural Meeting
Join us for a virtual ‘Meet & Greet” for members of the newly formed Think Forward Educators Queensland Branch. This will be an opportunity to make connections with others across Queensland who are also passionate about learning.
NSW Branch - Carina McSweeney - The Science of Reading in NSW Schools
Wherever you are in the SoR journey, there’s a sense of excitement that NSW is leading the way! NSW TFE branch invites you to take part in the conversations or learn more to meet the challenges ahead.