Over four 1.5-hour online seminars, you'll be introduced to the language basis of reading as well as key theories in learning to read. You'll also gain knowledge of evidence-informed instruction and support for use in your classroom, clinic or home.

Following each online session, you'll be able to access learning resources and practical tools to support you in applying the techniques learned in class.

This program is delivered by La Trobe University SOLAR Lab Directors; Professor Pamela Snow and Associate Professor Tanya Serry.

This course is designed for primary and secondary teachers but also targets allied health professionals and parents or grandparents who want to understand more about the science of language and reading as this pertains to initial reading instruction and support for struggling learners.

There is a 10% discount for schools that enrol 10 or more staff, or in the case of schools with fewer than 10 staff, where all staff are enrolled.

Course content

Topics covered will include

• Oral language foundations as the basis for learning to read.
• The Simple View of Reading and how it informs and supports classroom practice with respect to decoding and language comprehension.
• An introduction to linguistics for reading instruction: letters vs sounds, phonemes, graphemes, digraphs, consonants, vowels, the schwa vowel, stress in words, morphology and etymology
• An overview of different types of phonics instruction and their pros and cons

Extra requirements

1. Broadband internet access and an active email address that can be accessed during study periods.
2. Access to a device such as a computer or iPad during study periods.
3. Basic computer literacy skills (e.g. Word or other word processing software).
4. Participants are NOT required to have Zoom loaded on their computer.