Creating a Brighter Future for ALL Australian Children

A frightening statistic: 46 per cent of reading-age Australians do not have a functioning level of literacy. Almost half the population of a country that prides itself on a top-class education system cannot read newspapers, follow recipes or even understand the instructions on a medicine bottle.

It's Australia's hidden shame.

To generate awareness of this appalling statistic, taken from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, and help turn Australians into a nation of enthusiastic readers, 2012 has been designated as the National Year of Reading. The aim is to support literacy initiatives in libraries, schools, publishers, booksellers and any organisation that shares a love of reading. Read on

Reading by Six Campaigners will show you how to change these statistics. Before anyone can read outdoors (see article link above) we need to first teach them how to read.
Reading by Six Campaigners focus on the horse and not the cart.

About the National Year of Reading 2012

reading by six ! Welcome...

'Reading By Six'

Creating a community of parents and educators striving to help EVERY child read to at LEAST their expected reading level by 6 with confidence. Uniting with one common goal- to ensure that no child is left behind, unable to fully appreciate the magical world of language and literacy!

Free Reading and Spelling Support Forum Launched for Parents & Teachers Here Shortly
Thank You For Your Patience


Please note that supporters of the Reading By Six campaign are united to raise awareness about why it is important that children are given the best opportunity to learn to read early. All however have differing views and strategies, and so comments made may not necessarily reflect the 'general consensus' - including the message written below by Emma, its' creator. Indeed, the very idea of this 'campaign' is to show that regardless of view points or preferences regarding the teaching of reading (writing and spelling) it is possible for us to unite for the sake of children across Australia. It is possible for us to have differing ideas and still work together. It is time to end the 'reading wars', for our children.

Reading By Six  Join the Discussions on Facebook - Uniting for Children- ALL Reading by Six !

Reading by Six

 

  • Almost half of all Australians aged 15-74 years had literacy skills below the level required to participate effectively in our society, according to a 2008 study from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

    The Victorian Auditor-General has noted that efforts to improve the literacy achievement have done little to improve the average achievement of students across the state, despite an investment of $1.19 billion in the six years prior to the completion of the study in 2009.

    The report was also critical of the failure to assess the effectiveness of the key elements of its approach to literacy, for example, the Reading Recovery intervention for year one students.

    Read more;
    Use Your Brain and Teach Children to Read Properly (Dr Kerry Hempenstall)


    It is estimated that more than 75% of students who are not identified until Grade 3 never catch up with their peers.

    What is happening in Australia? Read 'Learning to Read in Australia'

    Recent behavioral studies show that phonological deficits -- that is, difficulties in processing the sound system of language, which often leads to difficulties in connecting the sounds of language to letters -- are similar in poor readers regardless of IQ

    Read Brain Imaging Shows Physiological Basis for Dyslexia

    Brain activation patterns in children with poor reading skills and a low IQ are similar to those in poor readers with a typical IQ. The work provides more definitive evidence about poor readers having similar kinds of difficulties regardless of their general cognitive ability.

    How can poor readers improve - and become proficient, confident readers (and spellers)?

    Recent research shows using brain mapping how intensive training on phonemic awareness and phonics enables this to happen. Please refer to this article for example. The intensive reading program the 37 children took had strong components in phonemic awareness and phonics. Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to identify phonemes, the individual sounds that make up spoken words. The word "bag," for example, is made up of three such elemental units of speech, which can be represented as bbb, aaa, and ggg. The brain strings together the 40 phonemes making up the English language to produce hundreds and thousands of words. In speech, this process is unconscious and automatic.

    The focus for Reading by Six Campaigners are that children who are 'at risk' are identified early so that intensive teaching in phonemic awareness and phonics can begin within their first term at school. These children can avoid reading difficulties, and the psychological issues that are associated with these difficulties. Preventing these difficulties can have wider reaching positive effects- reduced absenteeism, improved behaviour and higher academic achievement across the curriculum. Children are able to 'read to learn' as they are no longer 'learning to read'.




  • A Message from campaign instigator Emma Hartnell-Baker Emma Hartnell-Baker

I put forward the idea of a 'Reading By Six' Campaign not as a scientist or researcher but primarily as a mother and early years teachers with a passion for children. I have been teaching for over twenty years using a very child centred approach ie that I start with the child so that I can meet his needs. So any 'program' is adapted according to the individual child. I have been in touch with many others of like mind and there seemed to be support for such a campaign, and so here we are! Early days, but good to have something finally off the ground.


For those working with children to really learn and unite we must have specialist advisors who can share their findings and enlighten us, and help us develop a better foundation for change. If working together we can create a ripple effect and help more and more children.
This is a campaign fully funded by myself (while I can!) and all I ask is that these advisors contribute as much as they can on the facebook page and by sending me info to post on their pages. When we have a really great 'team' of independent specialists we can then meet and discuss strategies for raising awareness and offering support across every State, developing a 'working party' of sorts. An advisory board uniting for children
I plan to do everything I can to share their information and expertise through social media and networking, helping to get Australians talking - and uniting! Starting with the campaign site. My opinions however, as with all others who post, are our own. We unite in our passion for helping each and every child (and adult) across Australia learn to read.



Why is it important that we can focus on outcomes, rather than what people tell us we should be doing (often with an agenda that may not focus on the child, but more on profit?)
The internet shows a mass of conflicting information. It is no wonder parents and teachers are confused! Therefore if we can focus on what works and in sharing this information within the campaign site and on our facebook page and youtube channel, we can help those who do want to put the child first.
All children are not getting the help they need, regardless of the intentions of parents and teachers. Reading By Six campaign advisors can help us wade through all of the information and find out how best to help the highest number of children. How to help our own children.


What does 'Reading by Six' actually mean to me, personally?


'Reading' can interpreted in different ways. For the purpose of this web site we could define reading as 'to look at, and comprehend the meaning of (written or printed matter) by mentally interpreting the characters or symbols of which it is'.

So a child who has memorised the words on a page is not 'reading'.

The child needs to be able to decode as well as to then understand what he or she has decoded. So when reading 'Is it a pin?' they would need to understand that they are being asked if it is a pin!

Even reading a single word involves knowing the sounds, how to blend them into a word and what this word means.

This is why not being able to see the picture (or a linked picture) is so useful for checking 'reading' rather than guessing or memorising!

Children need to have the skills to read (and spell) even unfamiliar words and nonsense words eg pag


If children can't de-code how can they learn the meaning, or start to develop fluency?

The following is a real word..

Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokata
kechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonopteephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraio
baphetraganopterygon
 
How did YOU read this word? Even to a 'reader' it could be considered a 'nonsense' word:-) However you could still 'read' it- or rather, you could still 'decode it (if 'reading must mean understanding). It doesn't matter if you don't know that it is a fictional dish mentioned in Aristophanes' comedy Assemblywomen ! You were at least able to say the word (to yourself or out loud) even without guessing or memorising. All I am - personally- asking- is that we teach children to do this. As well as to comprehend what they are reading.


However the LEVEL by which reading is assessed can be achieved in many ways- the most common being 'reading tests' such as BURT. The testing and monitoring of reading levels will be discussed on this site in detail within the next few weeks.

So when I speak of children 'reading by six' I mean that they have been identified as 'reading' to at least their expected reading level according to their chronological age. This is what is expected however I would of course have much higher expectations for children. Many parents aren't even aware if their child is reading at the expected grade level, or how important this is.

Why promote early reading and give it an age target? To promote a more proactive approach to the prevention of difficulties. A study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation entitled "Early Warning! Why Reading by the end of Third Grade Matters" found that a child who can't read on grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate from high school by age 19 than a child who is reading on grade level.
Donald J. Hernandez, author of the study explains, "We teach reading for the first three grades and then after that children are not so much learning to read but using their reading skills to learn other topics. In that sense, if you haven't succeeded by third grade, it's more difficult to catch up than it would have been if you started before then."

The following are the skills I am aiming for the children to have by six therefore, in addition to having a 'reading age' level of at least 6 according to a traditional reading test. Does this mean I am 'right'? No, this is what works for me. This gives an outline of how I know I can ensure all children are reading by 6, and feeling great about themselves. Children who aren't able to decode and be able to therefore comprehend what they are reading, and produce their own writing 'works' do not generally feel good about themselves. It is something we see everywhere within schools.

Note that I have not mentioned which sounds; I merely wish to point out the underlying concepts I would be introducing and reinforcing from their first day at school. I spend the first week or so focusing on auditory discrimination activities to get a 'feel' for the children, and then introduce one sound, followed by another two sounds within around 5 days. By the end of week 2 I will usually have introduced 6 sounds. So even with only 6 sounds the children will be introduced to the following skills, and have many different and fun ways to practice using them!

* 'hearing' sounds in words - beginning, middle endSound matching game - BINGO!

* recognising letter sounds in print - and knowing what (oral) sound they correspond with.

* forming letters correctly (this is arguably less as important as the other concepts, before they start school as they can 'spell' words and form sentences using magnetic letters etc.)

* blending sounds orally into words- and as they sound words on paper (knowing they do this from left to right)

* 'reading' words by decoding from left to right- and blending the sounds into words- also exploring what the word means and how we use it in our language.

* 'spelling words by listening for sounds in order - and (the next step) knowing how to order / blend them on paper (using letters and also by forming the letters themselves - can use a pencil and also keyboard with lower case letters)

* 'reading' the words created using the sounds they have been learning. For example if s,a,t,i,p and n then sat, it, at, in, pin, tin, sit, pat, nip, spin, tan etc They are also taught the meaning of the words, and of the sentence, if the words are written within a sentence (and in this case knowing that we read the words from left to right)

* learning some 'tricky' to de-code high frequency words eg 'I' 'was' 'the' - to recognise as sight words (teachers will have taught that it is far more effective that they try to de-code words than memorise them wherever possible) I introduce these words early so that the children can start reading sentences early on- making the process more meaningful.

They will also be able to read sentences - using decodable readers in line with the sounds they are learning. eg the free de-codable readers released by SPELD (thank you!) There are numerous links to free decodable readers, available to parents and teachers. eg Fantastic Phonics or this web site created by teachers

I would have planned that children have been introduced to all of the above skills before the end of term 1 in Prep. Children will then start working at very different levels after the initial sound group. I can very easily spend half a term on just the first sound group, practicing the skills shown above! Why? The same reason I would spend so long on learning as much as we can using just the numbers 1-10. If the children understand the concepts then learning larger numbers is much easier. It is the same for sounds. If they understand the concepts and are developing the required skills then teaching new sounds, and new concepts, becomes much easier. They are experiencing success, and starting to understand our alphabetic code, and how it is used.

Why are children at different levels even after being introduced to just the first sound group? Some children may be recognising the sounds in print but are not able to blend them into a word (reading). Some children may not be able to hear where the sound is in the word, to then be able to 'order' the sounds on paper to create words (spelling). Some may not recognise all of the first sound group, and know the sound each 'sound pic' represents. Some children are more 'curious' learners than others and progress far more quickly as they are more naturally self-motivated to learn. This is why is important to know how each child is progressing in the areas of code knowledge, blending, phoneme segmenting and manipulating, ability to 'hear' sounds in spoken words etc. I do 'check point testing' every 4 weeks or so- these last about 2 minutes per child. All of this would happen within a 'language and literacy rich' classroom environment.

When ready - even after only the first sound group - children can be introduced to digraphs - learning that2 or more sounds can make a new sound eg s, h and sh are 3 different sounds.

I personally use bolded or coloured text to show the sounds, or underline them- to show where the sound pics are. So shop would be shop  so that early on children understand, for example, that 'shop' has 3 sounds. In the graphic to the left I have underlined the 'tricky' word. Why? Because I have found that this helps children who struggle. Although many do not need this, I prefer to use an inclusive approach and teach using strategies that are effective for all. It will not harm the children who learn to read and spell easily to understand the alphabetic code in even more details, many often developing even better spelling skills as a result. Again note, this is what I have found. Others may feel differently. But if the children I am working with succeed then isn't that the point? If the children you work with succeed using different strategies then I applaud you too! Outcomes are what really count.


After the first sound group children can move on to learn that sounds in our spoken language can be represented in several ways ( f could be ff as in gruff, ph as in phone etc)
And that some sounds on paper can represent more than one sound in our language- ow- as in cow or as in tow.

How teachers teach the skills outlined above- if these are the skills they want children to have- is up to them, and their school. They may have other ideas about which concepts should be introduced, or in what order, or which resources are most effective for 1:1 or small group teaching situations. We must be much more specific in our learning goals however, outlining clearly what we want children to be achieving. How else can we assess their progress, and identify their strengths and weaknesses to plan subsequent lessons? We must also be thorough in our planning, so that early reading and spelling skills are taught directly and systematically. Teachers must have a clear plan for the teaching of reading and spelling, and this should not mean sending home sight words and non decodable readers in the hope that somehow the children will eventually 'pick it up'. We know from seeing what works in schools where very child is reading by six (as well as from research and government recommendations) that this is what will help the highest number of children.
We know from these successful educators that phonics should be taught systematically combined with activities to develop phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. We are helping children discover the amazing world of 'books', and to become confident with regards to language and literacy. I could not imagine not reading for pleasure every day, or being able to explore and write about the things that excite me. Let's remember that when teaching. This is not about simply teaching children to read, write and spell but to open the doors to a wider world! However there are a HUGE number of our children who can ONLY achieve that through systematic, direct and explicit teaching in phonics COMBINED with phonemic awareness training, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary development.

That is why I created this campaign- it should not be 'which approach is right' - with people arguing against phonics or the whole language approach- it should be about looking at how to get ALL children reading by 6. And not only reading by thriving on it....We CAN unite on this, surely? If phonics taught systematically alongside other teaching can work for those children who are likely to fail then why not offer this to all, so they don't feel somehow different. If we are promoting inclusion we MUST include quality phonics training. And if the children being taught are not loving it then it's not being taught well !

'Reading By Six' advisors (please see links) may have developed their own specific 'vehicle' by which to teach children to read and spell, and offer schools training and support in this regard.

 Please visit individual pages to view their approach, programs, resources and suggestions about the best way, in their opinion, to teach children to read by six.


One program might 'fit' your school community better than another. For example you might consider that the fun element of Jolly Phonics- using actions and songs might appeal more to young children in Kindy, Prep or Year 1 class.

 

For any program to be successful however those using it must be committed and enthusiastic about it. Any program is only as good as the people implementing and assessing it. I would always encourage teachers to use a program as a resource, but not use it to substitute their own teaching. Use it to be creative, and be confident in modifying and enhancing it according to the needs of your students. I don't use a recognised 'program' or follow a specific 'method' however I do use elements of a program, and incorporate elements of recognised 'approaches' if they fit my students!
What matters, ultimately, are the 'learning outcomes' ie how each individual child is progressing, and how they feel about the learning process. That is why this campaign is 'outcomes' driven.

Some children, it seems, will learn to read using any method or strategy. These children are not really our focus here. Our focus are the children likely to NOT be reading by six. As already mentioned, rather than letting them fail and then offering 'remedial work' why not simply use strategies that will help the highest number of children learn to read and spell quickly and with confidence from their first day of school? The children who don't need 'phonics' will NOT be put off (unless taught badly). Far from it, research (and teacher experience) shows us that this helps them also. And phonemic awareness training with those with great awareness helps them even more- especially with spelling. So let's not teach as if the children will all succeed, let's teach as if all are going to have difficulties, and prevent them.

One of the many reasons for creating a 'Reading by Six' approach is because of the strong correlation between poor literacy skills and undesirable behaviour - often leading to delinquency. It would be no surprise to find a child who is causing trouble at school in the 4th grade is also struggling to read, write and spell. Indeed, early reading can contribute to desirable student behaviour across the whole school. Reading levels of Year 3 students can also predict, with around 80% accuracy, how well children will do at high school. I would go a step further and say that how well they do in their first year of school can predict how well they will be doing in high school! We know that the way children view themselves, and their motivation to learn to read and spell can start manifesting itself negatively or positively (depending on their experiences) even by the end of this first year of school. It is vital that we proactively ensure it is positive! This is why I am so committed to ensuring that every child is reading by six and so excited about collaborating with others of like mind. As I have such a keen interest in the 'Early Years' I am also committed to exploring the application of multi-tiered systems of support in early childhood settings. 'Reading By Six' will naturally support the development of language, social-emotional, and foundational academic skills of three- and four-year-old children.
To do this we must not get bogged down with politics and terminology- whole language versus phonics, synthetic phonics versus analytical phonics etc as if it has to be one or the other. Let us focus on what will help each of our children learn to read, write and spell (and LOVE it!) to become life long learners. And by being specific in our goals, by setting targets, it is much easier for us to see how well we are doing! Are your children reading (and spelling) to AT LEAST their expected level according to chronological age by six?

Emma Hartnell-Baker BEd Hons. MA Special Educational Needs
The Reading Whisperer™


" Let's work together to create a brighter future for ALL of our Australian students!
ALL Australian children deserve to be reading by 6"