Noella Mackenzie and Martina Tassone explores what the media say about reading. This is the sixth and final post on reading to celebrate Book Week.
The crises often reported in the media are examined with reference to well-researched data, the result presented is that there is no current crisis in reading but perhaps there is a crisis in policy formation and school funding. The authors argue that the adoption of a narrow view of reading which has been developed without consideration of the wide and varied needs of learners, will possibly lead to a crisis in reading as it has done in other countries that have adopted the policies Australia is now implementing. They argue that economically disadvantaged students and those with learning difficulties need more support, and by inference that these students will be doubly disadvantaged by the implementation of policies which do not work for the majority of students. They question why policies have been “borrowed” and implemented without the research and data to support their effectiveness. This is the final thoughtful article in this series, it is respectful of the work teachers do to meet the needs of their students but one which also questions, and asks all of us to question, the current policies being implemented in Australia.
Reference: Mackenzie,N. & Tassone,M. (2024, August,21). READING part six: The media say we have a reading crisis. Do we? Edu Research Matters.