In-Tuition

07/06/2025

Our Literacy Specialist, Caroline Hardisty, delivered an insightful talk on the sound-to-print approach and its origins at the World Literacy Summit.

🎥 Watch the replay for a fascinating deep dive into the history of the English writing system and discover why sound-to-print is such an effective method for teaching reading and spelling.

https://zurl.co/PCcZT

World Literacy Summit

11/04/2025

Here’s an interesting memory aid diagram for your HASS topic.

What are the layers of the atmosphere?

The atmosphere is the gaseous shield that surrounds and protects planet Earth. It consists of several layers, each with a specific function. The first of these layers is the troposphere, which extends from the Earth's surface to about 12 kilometers and is where most weather phenomena such as rain, wind, and clouds occur. The next layer is the stratosphere, which extends to 50 kilometers.

It contains the ozone layer, which absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays. Then there is the mesosphere, which extends to about 85 kilometers, and is the layer where meteors burn up upon entering the atmosphere. Above it comes the thermosphere, reaching an altitude of 600 kilometers.

It is where the aurora borealis occurs and where satellites orbit. Finally, there is the exosphere, the outermost layer that extends thousands of kilometers and gradually disappears into space. Each of these layers plays a vital role in protecting life on Earth, regulating climate, and communicating.

10/03/2025

This is an important fact to be aware of. The ability to decode words rather than attempt to store memorised banks of words is a huge bonus for our students who deal with ongoing multiple learning difficulties on a daily basis. Of course it also helps new readers to progress more confidently when facing unknown vocabulary.

Fact or Fiction? Common Exception words (or ‘tricky words’) are decodable.

It's a fact! Find out more. 👇

It’s a myth that Common Exception words, also known as ‘tricky words’, can’t be decoded. All common exception words become decodable once children have learned the code.

When children first start reading, they won’t yet have the knowledge to decode words like ‘the’ or ‘said’. For example, the < s > and < d > represent the usual sounds /s/ and /d/, but the < ai > represents the sound /e/ —something a beginner reader hasn’t learned yet.

By making the code transparent and teaching it explicitly and systematically, from simple to complex, we help children understand how all words fit into the system, rather than just labeling them as "tricky".

This empowers them to decode ANY word, even common exception words!

Explore 'Should key words be taught as ‘sight’ words?' by John Walker for a deeper understanding. https://zurl.co/BZBjm

09/02/2025

Please share if you know of others who may be interested.

Are you a home educator keen to enhance your phonics teaching skills?

Join us for a free educational webinar led by Jacinda Vaughan, our experienced Sounds-Write trainer, who has extensive experience guiding teachers, tutors, speech & language pathologists, and home educators in effective reading and writing techniques.

Special Guest: Sue White will share her invaluable home education journey.

This webinar is perfect for beginners new to home education or those seeking valuable tips to support their child’s reading journey at home.

Here’s what you can expect:

📗 An introductory understanding of how phonics works
📙 Insights into the Sounds-Write phonics program and how it equips you with essential skills and ongoing support for reading success
📕 Practical tips to kick-start your child’s reading journey with confidence
📘Get started straight away with our free activities

Register Now: https://zurl.co/kWOMK

20/10/2024

Another innovative idea from our clever Aussie educators.
I love how the ink is designed to disappear after a while making the device re-usable.

13/08/2024

In case you feel the need for more brain challenges 😄

Break out the counters, we've got some brand new patterning and spatial activities you can download for FREE in the third installment of the new Perplexing Puzzles and Problems series.
https://drpaulswan.com.au/resources/

06/08/2024

Great to have the collection in one place. Lots of choice now.

04/07/2024

Always good to see reminders like this.
The key take-away message - early intervention is critical.

🌟 Every month, the Sounds-Write team come together to study. In June, the study group discussed Nathan H. Clemens and Sharon Vaugh's ‘Understandings and Misunderstandings About Dyslexia: Introduction to the Special Issue.' 🌟

Here's what we've learned:

1. Identify all students who have or are at risk of developing reading difficulties - including, but not only, dyslexia.
2. The earlier the intervention, the more chance it will be effective (prevention is better than cure).
3. Students with a family history of dyslexia have a higher chance of having dyslexia - irrespective of the literacy environment at home.
4. Multi-sensory instruction is not the only approach for students with dyslexia. Effective programs use explicit instruction and integrate spelling alongside reading instruction.
5. Dyslexia is not caused by a lack of exposure to books and cannot be solved by more opportunities to read. Word-focused instruction and lots of exposure to and practice of words is needed.
6. Dyslexia is not caused by impairments in vision or visual processing: students with dyslexia don’t ‘see’ letters or words backwards and they don’t need vision therapies, coloured lenses or overlays, or dyslexia-specific fonts.
7. ‘Brain training’ does not improve reading outcomes for students with dyslexia.
8. Educators and trainee educators need to know how to provide evidence-based screening, assessment, instruction, and interventions for students with dyslexia.
9. Dyslexia does not look the same for all learners and can range from mild to severe. There is no single test to identify dyslexia.
10. Students with dyslexia often struggle with spelling and handwriting. Effective instructional approaches should work on reading, spelling and writing.
11. The needs of students with dyslexia can be met by educators at all levels of training, not just those who have special expertise in dyslexia, as long as they have access to evidence-based practices and programs.
12. Classroom teachers are the key resource for students with dyslexia, and need to be armed with the knowledge and skills to be effective teachers of reading and spelling.

Find out more:
https://zurl.co/NKXw

08/04/2024

The SCHWA
If you have ever wondered about this special sound in our English pronunciation and its many spellings, check out John’s very helpful blog for explanations + fascinating facts.

It's National Schwa Day ✨🎉 (who knew such a thing existed 🤷)
It's time to celebrate the most frequently occurring vowel sounds in the English language - the schwa! 🎈 Whether it's in "sofa", "banana", or "elephant," the schwa plays a big role in our language.
Want to find out more about the schwa? Read more:
https://theliteracyblog.com/2011/06/05/the-dreaded-schwa/

01/06/2023

Gratitude post to all the Sounds-Write tech gurus who have made access possible for all trained practitioners. This resource is just amazing. Can’t thank you enough in a teaching world where prep time is critical.
So impressed with the simplicity & functionality of your newly accessible webpage.
🙏thanks to all involved

The Sounds-Write Practitioners' Portal is now up and running! We're so excited to be able to offer this online hub for resources, interactive activities and CPD for anyone who has ever trained in Sounds-Write... FREE OF CHARGE 🎉

If you were on our list of trained practitioners, you will be receiving an email in the next 48 hours entitled 'Access the Sounds-Write Practitioners' Portal now!'. Please remember to check your spam folder, as it might have arrived there!

If you have trained in Sounds-Write and would like to apply to join the portal, you can do so here >> forms.monday.com/forms/304c45a0fb0946d9fd611f732ef3d581?r=use1