Credit: Megan Herbert
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Churchill Primary School’s literacy achievement is remarkable (16/2). The story illustrates NAPLAN’s value, but it reveals its weakness. NAPLAN tests do not start until year three. A phonics screening check for year one students is available. This would help identify students at risk of failing to learn to read much earlier. They could then be given reading intervention sooner. Research shows that early intervention is vital for a child’s self-esteem and future academic performance. South Australia, NSW and Tasmania have a mandatory phonics screening check. Victoria is lagging. An electronic petition, e-petition no. 336, has been filed in the Victorian Parliament. It urges the government to mandate the phonics screening check for all year one children.
Debra Le Nepveu, Sandringham
The complicated art of simplifying
When our son started school in 1991 the approach to teaching literacy was the ″whole languages″ whereby children are taught to read by recognising full words and phrases by encountering them in text. At night his parents taught him that when you have a combination of letters like this, they usually make a sound like that. Apparently this is called phonics.
When our daughter started at the same school three years later the approach was to teach students to memorise words using a combination of whole language practices and phonics. Apparently this approach is called ″balanced literacy″. It works. I thought the Education Department had learned its lesson. I am surprised that 30 years later schools have reverted to ″whole languages″. The sooner we make a start on simplifying the language the better.
Barry Whelan, Aireys Inlet
Spelling reform the neglected issue
With respect to Dr Nathaniel Swain’s lament (Comment, 19/2) over how some schools are failing students in English deficiency, spelling reform, as per usual, doesn’t crack a mention. I do love the language’s richness of expression, but as a freshly minted migrant thrown straight into high school, any endeavour to use phonetic logic to get a grip on the language was futile. No one dares to question the connection between phonetics and spelling. And so we struggle on.
Martin Hengeveld, Research
Reductionist, dysfunctional approach
That some children come to school as fluent readers is not recognised by Science of Reading advocates. These children arrive at school with no formal teaching in phonics. Yet, they are subjected to simplistic phonics activities in packaged kits focusing on decoding with very basic decodable books, designed for less advanced readers. It is difficult to draw any meaning from these texts at all.
This phonics heavy approach is reductionist, and does not provide emerging readers with the functional strategies to make meaning from texts. It elevates one aspect of our language acquisition above all others when readers need to be able to interconnect meaning forms. If we want to grow a generation of learners who are literate, there are many ways educators and parents can achieve this with a variety of strategies that include phonics, but do not over-cook it.
The research on this approach up to and including 2022 is not as glowing as the Swain article suggests. While various findings reveal improved skills in phonemic awareness and letter sound knowledge (resulting from word screening tests, not reading tests) it has also revealed there were ″no better outcomes on reading whole passages of text″ for these same young readers.
Parents and educators should be wary of the term ″science of reading″ portraying it as a one size fits all, silver bullet view of reading, while misrepresenting either balanced literacy or whole language and blaming these approaches for failed reading achievement. Attacking these methodologies, while ignoring the influences of poverty and confusing teaching students with special needs (such as dyslexia) with teaching the general population of students remains a convenient omission.
Alan Wright, Mornington
FORUM
Voters, arise
It is neither love nor money that makes the world go round. It is trust. When things start to fall apart and we begin to doubt the efficacy of our democracy it is to politicians that we turn for answers. Sadly though, right now it seems that the party system is not delivering for us. There are too many entrenched factions within the parties, too little common decency in the House and way too much pressure from the professional lobby groups.
We need independent, intelligent thinkers working for us. Party hacks have contaminated the conduct of politics in this country – and we have let them do it. Who among us really believes that another election will resolve our woes – that a set of new faces in the Parliament will do the trick?
Politicians purport to represent us but at base they are mostly representing their parties. We need them to be leaders. The current arrangements are demonstrably untenable. If we want them to be more effective we need much closer connection and discussion with them about the issues of the day. We have to demand this of them, which means we have to be much more aware and active in our communities and in our dealings with them. It’s not all their fault.
Lyn Kennedy, Wesburn
Torn by the USA
David Astle suggests Wordle may have become tougher under its new banner (19/2). Oh dear, I had thought I had become smarter. I’m quite chuffed that I have yet to be beaten.
The first I realised that the cheque (or is it check?) had been banked was a slightly new look and the changed ISP address at the top of the screen.
It has, however, become a different sort of minefield. Double letters I can handle, but just as I was starting to panic the other day it suddenly struck me that the word was HUMOR. The challenge has become to master American spelling. Not sure how I feel about that.
Yvonne Trevaskis, Battery Point, Tas
Freedom in chains
What’s with the use of the word freedom lately? There’s the religious freedom bill that seeks a mandate to discriminate. Freedom fighters who protest the right to take away the liberty of vaccinated people to roam and work safely. Facebookers who cite freedom of speech when they get blocked from spreading misinformation and lies. And dialogue that justifies these behaviours via pseudo-historical discourses that claim wars were fought to protect these freedoms. George Orwell would be so proud.
Donna Wyatt, Wyndham Vale
ABC of ideology
I have positive memories of the ABC (I was even an Argonaut!) when it was the responsible and professional public broadcaster that my parents listened to back in the ’50s and early ‘60s.
Today, contra David Anderson (19/2) it is not ″our″ ABC, let alone ″unbiased″, but has been hijacked by the woke left.
Australians might say that they ″put their trust in the ABC″, but the great majority demonstrate their real opinion with their remotes, by accessing the news from commercial sources.
ABC ″independence″ is simply a euphemism for a lack of accountability which means that it can treat even the most polite and articulate complaints with contempt, because it knows it will get its funding no matter what we think of it.
If we don’t like the commercial media we can refuse to listen to, watch or read their material, or buy their advertisers’ products, but the ABC can safely ignore the opinion of its milch cow, the taxpayer.
The ABC at its best can be sublime (where else could one listen to an on-air discussion of poetry by the late duo Clive James and Peter Porter?) and I would miss it if it disappeared, but overall it has become such an ideological racket that I would not lift a finger to save it.
Bill James,
Frankston
Listen to each other
As thousands of people have been converging on Canberra, finally a major party leader acknowledges it is time to listen to their concerns. To be sure, they still constitute a minority, but a significant one, and in a democracy, one that deserves genuine engagement.
What will we hear, if we listen? It should not be a controversial move in a democracy to listen. It should not take the electoral self-interest of the likes of Barnaby Joyce to open the door. Yet here we are. In America, they labelled the opposition ″deplorables″, and drove them into the hands of a demagogue. The longer we take to build a bridge over this COVID-19 chasm, the better for Craig Kelly and Pauline Hanson. Australia is too good for the likes of them. It is time for a cuppa and an honest conversation. Let’s listen to each other.
Michael Puck, Maffra
Drones, not tanks
General Dynamics Land Systems, which makes the Abrams Tank, must be very pleased with Australia’s purchase order of 75 Abrams tanks, and 50 support vehicles. Has anyone in Australia noticed the ″land systems″, and queried the sense of buying 20th century technology designed to attack or repulse attacks on land, when you are an island. Who are we planning to attack, Queensland or Western Australia? Has our procurement department heard of drone technology? Weaponised drones are superior mobile missile launching systems, which appears to be the only purpose of tanks, unless we wish to terrorise the feral camel population in central Australia.
Mike Francis, Fitzroy
The scare didn’t work
A few years ago, conservative commentators on rightwing media predicted skyrocketing power prices if renewables like wind and solar were introduced into the electricity generation networks. As climate change deniers, these commentators were trying to scare the public into rejecting renewables and demanding we stay with coal.
But look what’s happened since: increasing use of renewables has allowed South Australia and the ACT to run on 100 per cent renewables for a few hours and wholesale electricity prices have gone negative a few times. Now power prices are in danger of going higher because coal prices are increasing! The scaremongers’ tactics didn’t work.
Mark Toner, Brighton
Ukraine solution
The problems relating to the situation in Ukraine whereby there is a unilateral demand by Russia that Ukraine must not join NATO can be resolved by Ukraine agreeing not to join NATO on the proviso that the Crimea is handed back to Ukraine and troops withdrawn by Russia from the current border. Russia must also be required to withdraw its support to separatists in the Ukraine Donbas region which, to date, has been a four-year, drawn-out war. This alone would indicate that Russia recognises Ukraine as a nation state.
Ignatius Oostermeyer,
Albert Park
Getting focused
The Age (16/2) quotes the Prime Minister as saying, ″You haven’t seen me as focused as I can be, yet and you will see it.″ Which raises the question, just what has Scott Morrison been serving up to us for the past three years?
Brian Gunn, Point Lonsdale
How suite it was
Congratulations to 3MBS for the marvellous Tchaikovsky Marathon on Saturday at the Melbourne Recital Centre. The five concerts demonstrated that Australia has world-class musicians ready to perform for us.
The program contained many Tchaikovsky favourites, but also some rarely heard pieces such as his unaccompanied liturgical music and the monumental Piano Trio in A minor. The future looks bright as well. Two young emerging artists, Charlotte Miles and Leon Fei each performed major works.
Again, thanks to all involved in this splendid annual event. Live music is back, indeed.
Rod Watson, East Brighton
Best think again
Scott Morrison says we won’t cop actions by China, such as the laser beam presumably, that we don’t like. Has no one told him that our water pistols aren’t going to cause China’s leaders to lose much sleep. And will someone please try to explain to Peter Dutton that it is never wise to provoke a bully far bigger than you.
Terry Bourke,
Newtown
No ageism here
Lee Tulloch suggests (Traveller, 19/2) that the pandemic has revealed ageism in the community. It has done the exact opposite. The whole thrust of the response was to protect the most vulnerable – immuno-compromised younger people, and older people as a category. As a 65-year-old I got earlier access to the vaccine and the booster. Walking with a cane, I didn’t have to wait at testing sites.
I thank the government and the health profession for being so solicitous.
Michael Helman, St Kilda East
Put climate first
The Federal Parliament is unable to lead the fossil fuel to renewables transition because of its climate deniers (Editorial, 19/2). So this election is the big opportunity for the climate-caring MPs and parties to each urge various genuine options. In view of the increasing urgency and importance of solving the climate crisis, this must be the climate and economy election.
Barbara Fraser, Burwood
The red whine is off
That the government drags out the ″reds under the beds″ rhetoric from the 1950s is a tragic admission of its lack of policies and direction.
Peter Hendrickson,
East Melbourne
Aye, cucumber
What a season for cucumbers and zucchinis. So, two new collective nouns – A Calamity of Zucchinis. An Embarrassment of Cucumbers.
Ken Rivett
(not very good gardener),
Ferntree Gully
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
I don’t believe Australians vote into power the spouses or partners of prime ministers. This may be a positive thing.
Michael Bird, Mount Helena
Perhaps the PM, with his ukulele, and MPs, can entertain aged care residents, as well as checking how they and staff are coping.
Tony Bishop, Port Fairy
Maybe Peter Dutton will buy back the Port of Darwin.
Ralph Tabor, Pakenham
Scott Morrison is less dangerous and offensive when he plays the ukulele rather than politics.
Barrie Bales, Woorinen North
Mud sticks. On the thrower.
Tony Lenten, Glen Waverley
Scott Morrison’s failures, and those of his government, cannot be hidden by his delays, diversions and desperate personal attacks.
David Baker, Parkdale
Whatever it takes seems to be the election strategy chosen by Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton. If this results in a divided nation, so be it.
Bill Pimm, Mentone
Isn’t it amazing how an impending federal election immediately makes China an alleged warmonger towards Australia?
Brian Morley, Donvale
Furthermore
Such chutzpah! Russia accuses the West of fabricating a Russian threat.
Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick
Could Joe Biden be the real goal for Putin and his Republican buddy in this Ukraine crisis?
Gary Sayer, Warrnambool
The state of denial: politicians and the media banging on about war against giant nuclear powers without once using the dreaded n-word.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
Huge cash settlements with non-disclosure agreements surely prove there is one law for the wealthy and another for the less well-off.
Malcolm Fraser, Oakleigh South