Reviews current research in Australia in the areas of writing, reading, spelling, and using the microcomputer in the English classroom. (EL)

This paper reports on a series of three studies designed to assess the effectiveness of a metacognitive approach to teaching word identification and reading comprehension skills to upper primary poor readers, and to investigate effective methods for implementing the metacognitive program in the regular classroom. To improve word identification…

Evaluates the intelligibility of computer speech (Supertalker, Codec) by having 47 Australian children, ages six-seven, identify speech sounds in isolation, as initial sound in words, and as final sounds in words. Since Codec more closely approximates normal speech, it is recommended for computer-assisted instruction with beginning readers.…

Argues that the responsibility for the productivity of teachers must be shared by preservice institutions, professional teachers' associations, the school, and the individual teacher. Lists in-service activities used in a specific school district and presents a brief account of a review of reading-related language activities undertaken in that…

Discusses teacher accountability and suggests that teacher educators might take the initiative through encouraging evaluation at a number of levels, through better research, and through more broadly based programs of development. (FL)

One-hundred seven Australian children, with learning problems, ages 5 to 12 years, (60 Aboriginal), were studied to identify and remediate their learning difficulties. (PHR)

Examines the relationship between recent research on metacognition and schema theory. Provides practical teaching suggestions, showing how these concepts can be used as a framework for language instruction and for analyzing tasks students are asked to perform. (RAE)

In the state of Victoria, Australia, a rigorous program to eradicate failure in early literacy is based on expectations of success for all students, detailed records of student needs and progress, extensive teacher training and ongoing support, individualized instruction and active intervention for students who are not making progress, and links…

Discusses the limitations of dominant notions of background knowledge (BGK) as neutral information and objective knowledge and of the reading techniques that accompany these notions. The article argues that the notion of BGK should be broadened to include awareness of the social processes of production and interpretation of text. (26 references)…

This research draws upon both a preliminary study conducted over a 3-year period, in which a group of 15 children was tracked through the first 3 years of school, as well as works-in-progress. The particular concern of this research is the accessibility of the complex organization of reading instruction to young readers, realized by explicit and…

A study investigated whether instructors need to undertake in-depth training in miscue analysis as reflected in the Reading Miscue Inventory (RMI) to carry out competent evaluations of children's reading ability, or whether training in the Reading Appraisal Guide (RAG) can be equally effective. The study was carried out at Melbourne College in…

To determine whether high school students can be trained to use maps more effectively, a study examined linkage of feature and event information, the role of individual differences, and the roles of reading ability and preference for dealing with visual information. Subjects were 31 16- to 17-year-old high school students. Experimental and control…

This bibliographic essay discusses how Australian children's books and adolescent literature reflect Australian society. For example, Australian society tends to be male dominated; problems of a boy growing up in a mainly macho world are dealt with in Southall's "Josh" and "Walk a Mile" and in Phipson's "A Tide…

Annotates books related to writing and reading, dictionaries and reference books, poetry, drama, children's and adolescents' literature, mass media, and computer software. (HOD)

Presents a study that compared expressive language opportunities provided by shared book reading and facilitated play and examined the language of young Australian children (n=22) with intellectual disabilities. Finds that the shared book reading elicited more intelligible and complex language. Includes references. (CMK)