Discusses curriculum statements produced in Victoria containing different views on how to teach English. States that the differences are due to the beliefs that either language is learned as a whole and with a purpose, or in parts as directed by the teacher. (EL)

In the past, it has not been possible to "teach oneself to read" at home, because learners could not read the books to teach them. Videos and interactive compact discs have changed that situation and challenge current assumptions of the pedagogy of literacy. This article describes an experimental adult literacy project using video…

Increasingly, reading proficiency is being measured in terms of outcomes based data. This drive for accountability supports the growth of National Profiles, Literacy Benchmarks, and statewide assessments such as the Diagnostic Net, which record the numbers of students who fail to make the grade. In the face of widespread concerns about perceived…

Offers a view of literacy within the Australian context and traces the progress of two language and curriculum development projects. (AEA)

A study found that all regular and reading recovery students (n=150) participating in a code-oriented program, Schoolwide Early Learning and Literacy (SWELL), significantly outperformed counterparts (n=163) on tests measuring pseudoword decoding, reading connected text, invented spelling, and a standardized reading measure at the end of Year 1.…

Examines the use of repeated readings--children "reading along" with an adult--as a method of improving reading skills. Asserts that repeated readings by children with the voice support of a teacher/parent is an effective way to facilitate reading development. (MM)

Reviews current research in the teaching of English in Australia and concludes that there is a large volume of highly relevant research and that a way must be found to disseminate it to potential clientele. (DF)

Reviews a study designed to determine whether some of the problems of poor readers are related to inadequately developed story schemata or the inability to use schemata. Discusses the need for teaching strategies to enhance children's knowledge of story structure. (RBW)

Seeks to identify trends in reading education, including preservice, in-service, and tertiary education. Discusses the Australian Reading Association's policy statement on teacher education. (FL)

Describes five videotapes drawn from a conference on teacher education. The tapes discuss alternative ways of viewing current problems in reading and language development, the "Breakthrough to Literacy" program developed in Great Britain, language codes, language as a resource, and language as a part of human behavior. (FL)

Explores the largely unexamined years of English teaching between the 1910s and 1960s in Australia in order to supplement available forms of English curriculum history. Contends that an examination of teacher training curriculum and materials for this period would provide a useful way of further investigating the kind of English…

Sixteen moderately mentally retarded children, aged 9-13, were trained in sight words by manipulating pictorial stimuli (fading versus nonfading) in relationship to the word stimulus location (superimposition versus juxtaposition of picture and word), to orient the learner's attention to the word. Subjects who were trained using superimposition…

Describes current literacy practices in Australia and the history of influential approaches to literacy instruction. Discusses the unique contexts of professional development and practice that may make Australian approaches to literacy different from whole-language movements in American schools. (SR)

Explores a number of reasons for the limited benefits of second-language (L2) reading research and instruction interactions. Nine issues (including vocabulary development and fluency) viewed as dilemmas for L2 reading are examined. Alternative directions for research and instruction are suggested for certain issues; for other issues, the dilemmas…

Argues that since the successful teaching of reading does not depend on materials and schemes alone, a teacher who fails to acknowledge cultural factors that influence a pupil's ways of knowing will achieve only limited success. (EL)