Website Archive
Below you'll find an archive of all the posts that have been added to the Foundation website in the News and Research Collections.
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NEWS from ACLF
August is here, and August means Book Week! This year the CBCA has chosen the theme “Symphony of Stories”. You can read about the amazing milestone that the CBCA Book of The Year Awards are celebrating this month below, but before you do – don’t forget to...
Why safety and support fuel student success
theeducator July 6, 2026 by Brett Henebery Australian schools are being asked to do more than ever before, with students looking to them not just for learning, but for support, safety and a sense of belonging. A new national survey of 400 secondary school students...
The 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Awards
80 years young: 22-28 August 2026 In 2026, the Children’s Book Council of Australia proudly marks the 80th year of the Book of the Year Awards. Since 1946, these awards have recognised the incredible talent and imagination that fuel the books our young readers...
Five Tips for Teachers on Bringing Homer to High Schoolers
The 74 July 17, 2026 by Joe Goodkin I stand alone on a stage in front of 200 high school freshmen. They’re looking at their phones, talking to one other, laughing — paying attention to anything but me. I pick up my guitar, strum a chord and start singing, first in...
Volume : National Reading Symposium
VOLUME is a free, online national symposium which brings together the broader Australian books and social change sectors to discuss effective approaches for building reading engagement. Reading is vital for a healthier, happier and more connected country. Regular...
Three Ways of Looking at Reflection
iste+ascd July 30, 2026 by Lynne Dorfman, Catherine Gehman, Persida Himmele, Aileen Hower When students look at, in, and out during learning, they can improve their meaning-making and deepen their understanding. Read article here
News from Reading Australia
Teachers, help support Australian creators and win one of five $500 e-gift cards!Take 10 minutes to tell Copyright Agency what materials you’ve copied and shared with your students in the past 12 months and go into the draw to win one of five $500 e-gift cards.Your...
Lessons from schools recognised for excellence
SchoolsNews July 2026 by Bronte Tomkins Each school serves a unique community that requires a specific approach; as a result, no school is the same and there is no single blueprint for success. Article here
What do the 2026 NAPLAN results really tell us?
EduResearch Matters August 6, 2026 by Bronwyn Reid O'Connor and Benjamin Zunica Every year NAPLAN results in the predictable generation of headlines proclaiming successes or (mostly) failures in Australian education. This year has been no different. Much attention has...
NAPLAN: We know how to close the reading gap. We must fund it now
EduResearch Matters August 5, 2026 by Helen Adam Teaching quality matters, and so does how we prepare new teachers. ITE and teaching standards are rightly under review, through AITSL’s core content addendum and the proposed Teaching and Learning Commission, and that...
Rethinking the role of a public school
SchoolNews July 2026 by Bronte Tomkins For Green Square Public School in Sydney, the answer goes well beyond the traditional idea of school as a place defined by classrooms, timetables and learning that ends at the school gate Designed by BVN, Green Square Public...
The science of learning is not the same as learning sciences – and neither explains the whole of teacher professional knowledge
EduResearch Matters July 21, 2026 by Sakunah Alhada “The science of learning” has acquired considerable policy authority. Through AERO’s model of learning and teaching and the mandated core content in ITE, concepts such as working memory, cognitive load, long-term...
Pillar 5: The Five Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction – The Writing Cycle
The final episode in the effective writing series emphasises how teachers demonstrate the non-linear requirements of the writing process that involves careful scheduling and editing of writing stages along with targeted conferencing, goal setting and personal...
Pillar 4: The Five Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction – Mastery Through High-Impact Writing
Part 4 of the series relates to how the teachers De and Danielle, plan to deepen students’ understanding of the writing craft and their personal writing identities. Their planning for high-impact teaching involves scheduling master classes, and author visits, using...
The Power of Connection, Context and Meaning in Spelling
A helpful reminder that spelling needs to be taught in a context which includes a focus on both reading and writing. Reference: Topfer, C. In ALEA Practical Literacy: The Early and Primary Years, 2026. Christine Topfer (1)Download
FLL Submission to the Public Consultation for a new National Cultural Policy
In March 2026, the Foundation for Learning and Literacy continued our advocacy efforts by participating in the national public consultation for a new National Cultural Policy. To find out more about the Consultation visit:...
Pillar 3: The Five Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction – Independence in Writing
In this episode, teachers De and Danielle explain their understanding of independence in writing that is firmly anchored in routines and structures, clearly defined learning intentions, understanding of metalanguage and focused stages of...
Pillar 2: The Five Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction – Quality Writing
Again, the hosts focus on the core beliefs of two Year 6 teachers. In this session, the teachers reveal their daily mission - to model and carefully build consistent, structured frameworks that enable all students to grow in confidence and know there is an expectation...
Pillar 1: The Five Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction
The authors introduce two Year 6 teachers who share the first of five pillars – purposeful planning, that underlies their deliberate, transformative writing practices. Purposeful planning involves working backwards from a clear goal to position children as intentional...
Using the translanguaging space to facilitate poetic representation of language and identity
Dutton J, & Rushton K. (2021) Language Teaching Research 25(1): 105-133 doi10.1177/1362168820951215 This research explores the use of the translanguaging space (Li Wei, 2017) in confirming identity and student agency and developing a creative pedagogy....
Evidence of Agency Among Student Writers
Alan J Wright In this short piece for his blog Living Life Twice, Alan J Wright; teacher, consultant and writer, writes about classroom environments where students love to write. He describes classrooms where a genuine sense of the writer's agency is apparent...
Literacy Leadership Brief: Teaching and Assessing Spelling
Spelling involves the successful conversion of the spoken word into the written word. However, many descriptions of the spelling process reduce it to simply mapping sounds onto letters. This is it is an inadequate description of the skill set required for effective...
Little People’s Literacy Learning
The Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA) has developed a series of modules to support parents and carers with activities that can be shared with children. The activities have been designed with an emphasis on learning through collaborative play and shared...
Reading with your child at home
The NSW Government Education Department has developed a useful 'Reading with your child at home' guide. It provides ideas for parents/carers to help their young children with reading are available in many languages. Click here to find out more.