Everybody can learn to read
All Reading
Highly effective literacy teaching for all ages.
Is someone you know struggling to read?
At All Reading we know with the right teaching
almost everyone CAN learn to read
We are ALL about making reading happen
2023 update
All Reading will not be taking private students for at least 2023. We are happy to provide information and support - please email through the contact form below. We are also happy to discuss possibilities for training volunteers at new schools/venues - just email and we'll be in touch.
"Oh mum, it's so cool because now I get it. I just couldn't get it before. I just used to look at a page of words and I didn't know what to do with it. And then we started lessons and it seemed too easy and then after a bit I could actually read".
Emil - 8 year old learner
“A 15 year old student walked up to me at school last week to ask about timetables (he wanted an extra session) and, in front of his mates, said “And by the way, I can spell information”. That’s a sign of a program that’s working – he couldn’t read at all a year ago”
Jacky - Turning Pages reading coach.
"So in short - thank you. I am not sure where either child or I would be without your help .
I can not thank you enough :)
It really has been life changing"
Megan - mum of two struggling learners
About
Jackie Nieuwenhuizen (new-en-how-zen !) Reading Specialist (and Vic. Institute of Teaching registered teacher)
I am a teacher with many years experience in teaching reading. I established All Reading in response to hearing far too many stories about people of all ages who are struggling to read and to spell.
All Reading offers programs for everyone: parents wanting to help their beginning readers; kids who need the right teaching; teenagers and adults who need age appropriate, dignified teaching that works and works fast; schools & kindergartens (both teachers and ESS) wanting to teach reading in the way the evidence clearly tells us is most effective and efficient. We have also now set up a separate not-for-profit organisation Read Victoria to expand this work into schools, neighbourhood houses and other venues.
Because everyone deserves the chance to read.
What We Do
One-to-one reading teaching
Highly effective, supportive and warm specialist literacy teaching for all ages. Reading teaching that works using proven programs. The teaching follows the strong evidence we have about how best to teach reading so that everyone can learn. From young beginners to teenagers and adults - it is never too late to learn to read.
School based volunteer reading coaches
All Reading trains and supports volunteer reading coaches to use the Turning Pages program. This program comes from the Shannon Trust and can be viewed here. Working one-to-one with students from year 4 to year 12 in schools.
Parent, Education Support Staff & Teacher Training & Information
Learn to teach reading using programs that are designed for anyone to be able to successfully help someone learn to read. We can train you to use programs for young beginning readers or programs designed especially for teenagers and adults - age appropriate and dignified.
One-to-one or group training. Contact us to plan a session to suit your needs.
Volunteer Reading Coaches for adults
All Reading trains volunteer reading coaches to work with adults in the community. This could be at neighbourhood houses; libraries or other suitable organisations. This is based around the work of ReadEasyUK (link here) and The Shannon Trust (link here) who have worked with thousands of adult learners in the community and in the justice system across the UK. They are excited about us bringing this great program to Australia.
We also offer information and support sessions if you are trying to work out a plan of attack for a struggling reader or a change of teaching practice at your school or kinder. Ring or email us to discuss your needs.
How we learn to read
THE FIVE KEYS TO READING
major research reports all agree that there are five main keys to learning to read
PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS
This is the ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in words - if this is an area of weakness it will make learning to read very hard. We teach this skill through lots of focus on rhyming sounds; changing the beginning, middle or end sound of a word; substituting one sound for another; taking off one sound or adding a sound and lots of other activities.
PHONICS
Learning and using the relationships between sounds and letter-symbols to sound out (decode) written words. This is the critical but often untaught skill in learning to read. We teach each sound and how to blend the sounds to form words and how to separate the sounds in order to spell the words. We start teaching with the simple, regular spellings and keep teaching through to the complex and unusual spellings.
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT
If we do not have a word in our oral vocabulary then we will not recognise it in our reading, the more words we know the more words we will be able to get off the page and the greater our ability will be to understand what we are reading.
COMPREHENSION
This is about extracting and constructing meaning from written text using knowledge of words, concepts, facts, and ideas. The more automatically we can decode (get the words off the page) the better we are able to understand what we read. Strong background knowledge, vocabulary and decoding lead to good comprehension of what is being read.
FLUENCY
The ability to read accurately, quickly and expressively. Fluent readers are able to focus on reading for meaning. This skill develops through the use of decodable texts – books that only have words in them with the sounds we have already learnt; as we become expert in getting the words off the page we are able to fluently read a wider and wider range of texts.
2 SHORT VIDEOS EXPLAINING WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO LEARN TO READ
from speech pathologist Alison Clarke of Spelfabet
Preventing Literacy Failure and Shifting the Whole Bell Curve Up
How Phonics Got Framed
A GREAT GRAPHIC ABOUT THE NEED FOR A STRUCTURED LITERACY APPROACH - SO THAT WE MAKE SURE EVERYONE GETS THE TEACHING THEY NEED.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Resources; computer programs & research evidence
RESOURCES TO HELP LEARN TO READ AT HOME
Spelfabet - Alison Clarke - Speech Pathologist shares many useful resources here
5 from 5 - A website for parents and teachers promoting evidence based reading teaching for all. here
Teach a Child to Read & Write - lots of free word banks and other teaching materials here
Progressive Phonics - free decodable readers and handwriting practice here
SPELD-SA - huge range of free decodable readers (upper levels suitable for older learners) and a whole free phonics teaching program for all ages here
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons - we can train you to use this to teach a child to read at home - designed for parents here HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Turning Pages program for older and adult learners - we can train you to use this program to teach any older learner to read - designed for non-teachers and written for adult learners here
A free online short course for parents or teachers 'Help your child to read and write' here HIG
Right Track Reading - all in one teaching program here
Sound Foundations teaching programs here
Alpha to Omega teaching program here and elsewhere
Sound Out Chapter Books here
Pocket Rocket readers here
PLD Literacy here
Reading Rockets website here
Decodable Readers Australia
COMPUTER PROGRAMS & APPS TO TEACH READING
Teach Your Monster to Read here
Phonics Hero here
Word Shark here
Nessy Reading here
PLD Literacy Apps here
Touch Type Read & Spell here
Reading Doctor Apps here
Little Learners Love Literacy decodable readers as an app here
Easy News - simple to read world news updated daily (great for older learners) here
TAP decodable readers for older learners and adults here
TAP Funny Phonemes - phonological awareness and fun for older learners here
Fitzroy Readers as an app from the app store
Oz Phonics apps from the app store
Decodable Readers Australia App
Book Bots App - read aloud decodable readers with built in help on the App Store
for more look at Spelfabet here
RESOURCES FOR HANDWRITING HELP
Ready to Print handwriting app recommended by Occupational Therapists here
Deb Hepplewhite handwriting site - lots of free resources here
School Writing App handwriting app recommended by Occupational Therapists here
Teach a Child to Read and Write handwriting practice sheets here
Progressive Phonics Handwriting booklets here
PLD Literacy handwriting books here
RESEARCH EVIDENCE & FURTHER READING
High Performing Schools in WA - What do they have in common? Research report here
International Foundation for Effective Reading Instruction here
Reading Reform Foundation here
Five from Five here
National Right to Read Foundation here
Understanding Learning Difficulties for Parents from AUSPELD here
Australian National Reading Panel Report here also several other useful reports
Read About It: Scientific Evidence for Effective Teaching of Reading here
Effective Reading Instruction in the Early Years of School NSW Centre for Education Statistics & Evaluation (NSW Govt.) here
The Clackmanshire Report - Major Scottish Controlled Trial of phonics teaching here
WHOLE SCHOOL LITERACY PROGRAMS
Sounds Write – English program but training available in Australia – here (for a taste see this free short online course here includes decodable readers.
Little Learners Love Literacy – Australian program with great resources here including decodable readers which can also be purchased as an app
Letters and Sounds – UK Govt. developed program available for free here Matches Pocket Rocket decodable readers here. Matches the excellent free computer program Teach Your Monster to Read here
PLD (Promoting Literacy Development) – Australian program (also has apps) here
Get Reading Right – Australian program with all resources and readers here
Phonics International – UK program – online training available in Australia here
Jolly Phonics – UK based but available in Australia here
ReadWriteInc –UK based but available in Australia here . Also ReadWriteInc Fresh Start for remediation for older learners here
MultiLit – Australian from Macquarie University here
Cracking the abc code Australian program here
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS, TUTORS & SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF
Nessy Training here
That Reading Thing here
That Spelling Thing here
Phonics Intervention Org here
Parker Phonics - free teaching manuals here
School House Phonics - 60 free phonics lessons here
Reading A-Z - use only DECODABLE readers and passages here
The Michaela School - an extraordinary example of what can be achieved if we are serious about education for all here
Midlands Knowledge Schools Hub - here
Teach Your Child to Read - affordable teaching program ebook series here
Alphabetic Code Charts here and many other resources
Equipped for Reading Success by David Kilpatrick - phonological awareness training to advanced level through One Minute Activities here
Lifelong Literacy - Lyn Stone - many useful videos and links to her books on reading and spelling here
Phonics International online training and program. Very affordable. here
RESOURCES FOR LEARNING TO READ - older learners and adults
*Phonics for Reading - Anita Archer et al (older beginners)
*REWARDS Reading program - Anita Archer et al (already at around a grade 3 level)
*Forward with Phonics - Frances Woodward - readers and activities
*The Hornet Primer and Word Wasp programs - H & M Cowling
*Back on the Right Track Reading - Miscese Gagen
*PhonicBooks UK series for older learners
*Turning Pages program from The Shannon Trust
*Word Shark - online program
*SPELD SA - Intensive Literacy Program and readers