Ross Gittins says his piece is “no attack on hard-pressed teacher” but accepts the frequently repeated mantra about the deficiencies of so-called “whole language teaching” and how important phonic analysis is (“Productivity? Ensure kids can read”, February 14). In my many years of visiting scores of schools as a researcher I never met one teacher who did not appreciate that phonics is a useful, indeed necessary tool in teaching reading but it is limited and is one aspect of a suite of measures emphasising reading for meaning rather than decoding. Many words cannot be “sounded out”. A balanced approach takes into consideration children’s prior learning, home background, their interests, local contexts, the joy of a story or poem, and more. In ensuring “kids can read” comprehension and love of reading to learn are what matter. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne
Illustration: John ShakespeareCredit:
How many times must we reinvent the wheel? In 1995, my colleagues and I at Macquarie University reviewed the whole language theory behind the Reading Recovery program, used by the Department of Education for at risk readers, and found it was based on a mistaken premise of how children learn to read. We developed a reading program, trialled and evaluated in many schools and based on Success for All, used successfully in the States, which consisted of a structured approach to reading with an emphasis on phonics and structured readers in which pupils could practise the sounds taught in text. I published a text called Beginning Reading which outlined both early literacy research and an exemplary early reading program. I am appalled that after all this time, the reading wars are again being waged. Yola Center, Lane Cove
I want all kids to read well and confidently but also for enjoyment and all their lives. Even though it is claimed to be a myth, the structured literacy approach can lead to “readicide” when the teaching of reading is overly dependent on “readers” and whole class “read alouds”, which is boring and monotonous. All students learn to read differently, it’s not by osmosis, it’s not by whole language alone and it’s certainly not via structured literacy ie direct instruction alone. Teachers need to be able to tailor their teaching to suit the needs of the children in their class. They also need more funded learning support staff in every classroom, every school needs a professional teacher librarian and a funded school library. The reading wars will not be over until each is guaranteed. Sharon McGuinness, Thirroul
I, too, could read before attending school but this is not the case for every child (Letters, February 14). I had the natural ability to break words into chunks of meaning and this was further developed by lessons in phonics. However, a significant number of children struggled in large classes to do the same. Literacy is an important part of life. In my work as a remedial reading teacher I had many interactions with adults and adolescents who have felt shame and experienced limited career opportunities due to their poor levels of literacy. Phonics teaching is a valuable part of the process and success breeds a love of reading. Linda Page, Baulkham Hills
I, too, was lucky to be able to read before attending a one-teacher school in 1940 where phonics and drill in basic arithmetic were the morning schedule. My teacher training course covered a suite of reading strategies I used successfully as a primary teacher. However, my years as a special school principal and later a researcher in reading, revealed that a proportion of children find reading quite difficult. They need carefully structured lesson plans which include phonics together with strategies to ensure that there is joy in reading through stirring the imagination. Incidentally, it was comic books, including my favourite Ginger Meggs, which I enjoyed in my pre-school years. Trevor Parmenter, Breakfast Point
The problem with relying on phonics to teach literacy is that so often, in English, it doesn’t work unless combined with other approaches. The following 19 words use only four vowel letters (a, e, i, o) to express 19 meanings with 14 different vowel sounds: had, hard, head, heed, he’d, herd, heard, hid, hide, hied, hired, hod, hoard, whored, hood, who’d, how’d, hoed, Hoad. Similar example lists abound. Try teaching a child that lot by the simplistic method of “sounding out the letters”. Result: one confused and discouraged little kid. Steve Cornelius, Brookvale
The report which shows that student literacy has declined over the past few decades will come as no surprise to long serving experienced teachers who have had to endure the poor directives and policies emanating from educational administrators acting on the advice of ill-informed so-called experts. Just as Ross Gittins rewrites Economic theory in a pragmatic way, teachers need to be able to return to methods which have traditionally worked, rather than follow the directions of these failed experts. Only then will education achieve what it should. Max Redmayne, Drummoyne
One also has to wonder about the effect of poor reading skills on democracy. Good reading ability enables the development of much better critical thinking. Without good critical thinking how does a person discern deception, disinformation, and misinformation issuing forth from politicians, partisan interests of any form, and – most particularly – media run by oligarchs with a social engineering agenda? Peter Thompson, Grenfell
Saving Takayna is Plibersek’s duty as environment minister
Geraldine Brooks makes an impassioned plea, with scientific backup, to Tanya Plibersek regarding a majority Chinese-owned mining company’s plans to sink part of Takayna in acidic slush when an alternative disposal method is available (“Plibersek can save this wonderland or drown it in acidic- waste” February 14).
Is this such a hard ask? I’ve sat on a hill overlooking Takayna and had the plans explained – this was years ago after deforestation was already well in progress. If there was a God, I would ask her to bless Bob Brown and the Bob Brown Foundation, and others, for working so hard and under such intense opposition from mining and forestry interests, to keep what’s left of our endangered wilderness – its survival is necessary for our world.
Having just read Brooks’ article I’ve written to Plibersek; perhaps many others will do so too and let her know that not only the environmental societies work and care for our future. Irene Wheatley, Bethania (Qld)
The majestic Pieman River.Credit: Discover Tasmania
It is no coincidence that the Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity Bill proposed by Senator David Pocock is soon to be debated in the Senate. What better opportunity for our politicians and policymakers to show they care and act in the interests of protecting the people and places we love. Minister Plibersek has the power to make a decision that preserves the forest’s magic for all the children of our future. Will she view this as her duty of care? Joy Nason, Mona Vale
Having spent days wandering through the Takayna wilderness I agree with Brooks. The minister must not allow this old-growth forest to become a huge tailings dam. There are viable alternatives to the dam, but not for this majestic, irreplaceable forest. Jill Stephenson, Woolwich
Come on minister, say “no” to the new tailings dam on the west coast of Tasmania. MMG knows that using tailings dams is dangerous and destroys the environment. They just want to save a few bucks at the forest’s expense. Please think deeply about this and remember you are the environment minister, not the minister for mines. Molly King, Freshwater
Driving down a new highway in Ireland a few years ago the road deviated unexpectedly. It had to be diverted because there was a gnarly old hawthorn tree in the path of the planned road, and that was where the fairies lived. The tree could not be chopped down as it was under the protection of the fairies and to chop it down would end in disaster. The forest in Tasmania, that a foreign-owned mining company wants to turn into a tailings dam, should be placed under the protection of Brooks’ fairies. Hopefully, Plibersek is now aware of the fairy curse. If not, she might find homeless fairies living at the bottom of her garden to remind her, every day, of a poor decision. Patrick St George, Goulburn
Ancient trees and native animals, including the wonderful masked owl, will be destroyed if this project is given permission to proceed. Plibersek can save this treasured environment and she must. What greater responsibility does an environment minister have than this? Stuart Laurence, Cammeray
Albanese’s irony over Western Sydney Airport
Oh, the irony. Back in the 1990s the residents of Summer Hill, Dulwich Hill and Ashfield and were complaining long and loud about new flight paths and noise being unfairly dumped on them (“Ultimately flawed’: The problems with new Sydney Airport flight paths”, February 14). The mantra of the local member, Anthony Albanese, was Badgerys’s Creek Airport would relieve the noise burden of his constituents Fast forward 25 years and the Albanese government is about to dump even more aircraft noise onto these same suburbs because of the airport at Badgerys Creek. I hope the voters of Grayndler have a long memory. John Berry, Cammeray
Aircraft are already using the new take off configurations deemed necessary by the impending opening of the new airport at Badgerys’s Creek. As someone who lives next to both a rail line and bus route I have the trifecta of planes, trains and automobiles. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Hill
Breath test
Jenna Price raises some serious issues (“Barnaby’s pickle gives me no Joyce”, February 14). As she points out, there would be no enthusiasm for banning alcohol in the building. Meanwhile, we see sometimes life-threatening decisions voted on by people who are well over any driving limit.
If parliamentarians had to pass a drug and alcohol breathalyser to enter the legislative chambers the problem may be swiftly solved. Anni Browning, Elizabeth Bay
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As the elected parliamentary member for the federal seat of New England, Barnaby Joyce has a colourful past along with an obvious passion for the well-being of his electorate and this nation. While some of his opinions are not shared by everyone he is entitled to express them openly, and be judged accordingly. In this latest saga, maybe we should be given the opportunity to publicly “judge” the grub who chose to take photos rather than offer assistance, and let the constituents in the electorate of New England decide if Joyce is still the person whom they want to represent them in Canberra. Rod Luffman, Nambucca Heads
A number of Joyce’s National Party “colleagues” have urged him to take time off to “sort himself out”, followed by implications of Joyce’s “mental health struggles” (“Joyce urged to take time off to address issues”, February 14). Such a statement could be taken either as an attempt to excuse Joyce’s erratic behaviour, or as a cue to ousting him because he is “an embarrassment to the party”. Perhaps it is neither. The man himself has the courage to simply admit he “made a big mistake”. Love him or loathe him, he at least adds some “colour” to an otherwise bland and boring federal opposition. Rob Phillips, North Epping
Poor solution
Your editorial reflecting the views of the productivity commissioner, continues to perpetuate the very one dimensional view that building more is the answer to the city’s housing (“Higher density key to solving city’s housing crisis”, February 14). Run roughshod over the existing suburbs, forget the cohesion of existing communities, rubbish heritage listings – a recent columnist even suggested that higher density would bring much needed night-life into existing sleepy suburbs. That, of course, is exactly what a vast number of people in those suburbs desperately do not want. They live where they live to enjoy a quiet, peaceful existence. While the solution to the housing issue is viewed without also seriously addressing other key factors, notably immigration numbers, overly generous negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions, and the concentration of employment in the cities, the housing solution will be worse than the problem. Geoff Wannan, Dawes Point
Asbestos query
How does asbestos get into mulch which we think of as an organic product (“Dangerous asbestos found in park as mulch supplier sues”, February 14)? Some years ago I bought hardwood mulch from a landscape materials supplier. The delivered material was full of small pieces of timber with paint remnants. I rang the provider and was told it was a common practice where timber building materials were shredded and combined with tree waste – so is this how asbestos got into the mulch in Sydney’s parks and schools? Since then I only buy mulch from local arborists where the product is guaranteed to be shredded tree waste. Clare McNamara, Springwood
Program success
I reject the conclusion that COVID-19 tutoring was a failure (“COVID tutoring a failure”, February 14). My involvement in the program as an educator in a disadvantaged public school saw the program mature, over a two-year period, for year 11 and 12 students. At first, students were withdrawn from class for small group tutoring. As the rapport developed with both student and teacher I then moved into the classroom and provided support in targeted areas. That transition proved invaluable. Not only did HSC results improve but more importantly I saw students emerge with a determination to continue to learn and grow down the track. To me, that is success. Michael Blissenden, Dural
Critical history
Your correspondent comments that since Scott Morrison “we feel freer to criticise, parody and generally be nasty to anyone in power” (Letters, February 14). I would suggest that this attitude began with Tony Abbott and his Coalition government towards the prime minister Julia Gillard. What goes around, comes around. Sandra Willis, Beecroft
Calling manners
In a social situation, is it bad manners to ring (“Millennial E.T. would have texted home instead”, February 14)? When the efficiency of a one-minute phone call to organise a meeting has been replaced by endless, ambiguous texting that takes so much time to eventually achieve the same result, that’s bad manners. Don’t confuse a text with a real conversation. Feeling lonely or anxious? Pick up the phone. Speak to the humans in your life. The results are amazing. Elisabeth Goodsall, Wahroonga
Tea party
The brew-haha in the Red Sea has reached boiling point (“Tensions in Red Sea upset British tea supplies”, February 14). The British will be stewing about their beloved tonic being caught in the crossfire. Janet Argall, Dulwich Hill
Taylor troubles
I find it contradictory to read how many families are feeling financial stress at this time, and yet there are parents willing to pay for extortionately expensive Taylor Swift tickets for their daughters (“Swifties swoon as last-minute tickets snapped up”, February 14). There is enormous hype for these concerts, it’s a “fear of missing out” syndrome. Swift is making millions from tickets sold in Australia – some families will forgo paying household bills so that they can buy these tickets. I hope all the hype will be worth the money spent. Eira Battaglia, Seaforth
Taylor Swift during The Eras Tour in Kansas City, Missouri.Credit: Getty
Dear Taylor Swift, next time you tour, perhaps consider selling your tickets using a ballot system where fans register once and are offered the chance to buy pre-reserved tickets after a random draw. This would give a one-time yes or no answer to fans, instead of the constant false hope and stress of Ticketek’s waiting room of doom. Alas, my proposed system wouldn’t generate anywhere near as much publicity, so it’s a probably a non-starter. Joseph “Not A Swiftie” Taylor, Balmain
Kansas City won? I thought Taylor Swift won (“What the NRL needs to copy from the Super Bowl ... and it’s not Taylor Swift”, February 14). Peter Bourke, Rockdale
I agree with your correspondent who thinks President Joe Biden needs a new vice presidential candidate; “someone with experience, youth, wisdom” (Letters, February 14). Proven popularity wouldn’t hurt either. I nominate Taylor Swift. Coral Button, North Epping
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