Controversy has surrounded the annual National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) since its introduction in 2008. This initiative was designed to provide nationally consistent information on student progress in basic skills in years 3, 5, and 7, replacing the various state-based tests that preceded it. A great deal of criticism has…

This article first examines recent theoretical and empirical research on reading development and instruction in English-speaking countries. Then, a study is described that examines the effects of a synthetic phonics-emphasis Direct Instruction remedial reading program on the phonological processes of students, with teacher-identified serious…

Provides a different perspective on the recent controversy over the competing emphases to beginning reading, known as Whole Language and phonics, by examining the history of disputes about reading education. Helps illuminate the current debate by indicating which issues are novel and which continue unresolved from the past. (DSK)