by Sarah Marinos
In classrooms across Australia, approximately one in three children struggle to read at the level expected for their age. Earlier this year, research from The Grattan Institute highlighted the literacy problems facing Australian schools and called for “a reading revolution.”
In line with many other states and territories, from 2025, children in Prep to Grade 2 classrooms in Victoria will be taught using a systematic phonics approach. Teachers will spend a minimum of 25 minutes a day explicitly teaching phonics to children to help embed key foundational reading skills.
To support this initiative, a new online phonics program has been developed by Haileybury—created by teachers, for teachers—to help them deliver effective phonics classes starting in 2025.
About the Haileybury Phonics Program
- The first course in the Haileybury Phonics Program, Phonics 101, is specifically designed for:
- Teachers who haven’t had prior phonics training.
- Teachers seeking to refresh their phonics knowledge and skills.
- More courses will become available in the new year.
“Haileybury has delivered evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs, including phonics, for more than 18 years. Our teachers have a vast amount of experience in this field, and for years they have supported other schools across the country to enhance their own literacy programs – so they know what works,” says Grenville Green, Haileybury Deputy Principal (Junior School).
Supporting Teachers Nationwide
The program is built on 18 years of expertise and aims to:
- Build teacher understanding of phonics.
- Provide effective tools and strategies for the classroom.
- Deliver on-demand access, enabling teachers to complete the program at a convenient time and place.
Program Features
According to Mr. Green, “The online program will cover the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of phonics and key terms that are important in developing teacher confidence.”
The program covers:
- Key terms: Phonemes, blends, short and long vowels, blending, and segmenting.
- Practical strategies: How to incorporate phonics into literacy lessons.
- Video demonstrations: Bringing to life how Haileybury teachers deliver phonics.
- Teacher resources: A toolkit of templates, lesson ideas, and resources to use immediately in classrooms.
“Our teachers have designed and developed this program to help build teacher confidence and to enhance the ability of their colleagues in other schools to apply phonics in their teaching,” says Mr. Green.
Empowering Educators
“Teachers are dedicated to wanting the best outcomes for every student, and this program supports those teachers who have the incredibly important job of helping some of our youngest students learn one of the most fundamental and key skills – how to read and write with confidence,” adds Mr. Green.
Launch Details
- Phonics 101 Course Available for Purchase: Wednesday, 4th December 2024
- Program Goes Live: Monday, 13th January 2025
- Cost: $295.00
This program promises to equip teachers with the tools and confidence they need to foster literacy success in classrooms across the country.
The above article was supplied to The Educator by Haileybury.