Press Release: Reading Debate Puts Literacy At Risk

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The Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) has called for an end to the divisive and destructive reading debate over phonics versus whole word reading method. APPA president Leonie Trimper said that this debate is confusing parents and hampering efforts to boost literacy among primary school students.

The APPA executive today called on academics and jurisdictions to support research that shows the effective teaching of reading should combine both processes.

“How much more evidence is needed before we put this debate to bed?” she said. “Just when you think it has disappeared it bobs up again.”

“Our key focus must be to ensure teachers have the skills and expertise to teach all aspects of reading and that school leaders have the deep knowledge to support effective literacy teaching in their schools.

“Our nation’s future depends on the success of our children and we need to strive to ensure all students are literate and numerate.”

Edith Cowan University academic Dr Deslea Konza supported APPA’s call for an end to the debate. “Extensive research over the past two decades has clearly demonstrated that a range of skills is required for meaningful reading to develop,” she said. “Decoding the alphabetic system on which English is based is one of those skills.

“Building a rich vocabulary, drawing on knowledge of language structures and developing reading strategies to interpret text on different levels are also critically important.

“All these elements need to be taught.”

APPA is the country’s peak primary principals’ body and represents over 7,200 primary principals in the Government, Catholic and Independent systems.