Report backs literacy basics

Samantha Maiden

December 08, 2005

AUSTRALIA's literacy war will be reignited today with the release of a damning report into teaching methods that supports a push for back-to-basics learning.

The report will demand the reintroduction of phonics, which relies on knowledge of the alphabet and decoding words by breaking them into syllables and sounds - such as CAT: C-A-T - as the centrepiece of teaching literacy. It will also recommend a radical shake-up of teacher training in the nation's universities and national literacy tests for under-8s.

But the simple remedy of urging parents to read aloud to their children will also be encouraged as one of the most effective ways to help children learn.

The report, Teaching Reading, will warn that the whole-language approach - where a child is encouraged to rely on memory and visual cues to decipher words - has failed struggling students.

The battle over phonics versus the whole-language approach was kickstarted last year when a prominent group of Australian researchers, psychologists, linguists and educators wrote an open letter to the Education Minister warning that current teaching methods were based on trendy reading programs that had no scientific backing.

The group condemned the whole-language philosophy used in many schools, which "requires only exposure to a rich language environment without any specific teaching of the alphabetic system and letter-sound relationships".

Now, the report - prepared by a panel of parents, teachers and academics led by Ken Rowe - has backed their push to embrace phonics as the key to reading.

The inquiry calls for schools to embrace "systematic direct phonics instruction so children master the essential alphabetic code-breaking skills required for foundational reading proficiency".

Australian Council for Educational Research chief exeutive Geoff Masters said yesterday it was clear a systematic approach was needed.

"I think there's a very significant research base now in this area," Professor Masters said.

"There have been many studies that have identified effective teaching practices in relation to teaching literacy and part of that is teaching reading in a systematic way. That's not a one-size-fits-all solution.

"There needs to be professional judgment made by teachers. The research says phonics is particularly important for some students who are struggling to learn to read."

The Australian revealed last month the report would also demand that every child be tested for basic skills when they start school and twice a year for the first three years.

Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson has already pre-empted the findings to back the national testing plan. He is expected to shortly announce further reforms to shake up teacher training, accreditation and introduce mandatory tests to ensure graduates do not struggle with basic spelling and grammar.