How INSIGHT will support Literate Learners for Life

Teaching literacy, and key components of learning to read and write are integral to helping students reach greater achievement. We are not born with the skill of being able to read or write, so we must teach using explicit and direct instruction to develop these skills in the brain.

As INSIGHT begins to influence our schools, Literate Learners for Life continues to play an important role in creating better outcomes for Tasmania’s young people, the Science of Learning and Reading will help build stronger learning foundations for Catholic Education Tasmania students. 

“We’ve come from a place in Literate Learners for Life following the Science of Reading –  INSIGHT is embracing that and going deeper into the Science of Learning,” said Lisa Fenning, the Literacy Project Lead Advisor at Catholic Education Tasmania.

It is important that students are placed in an environment that gives them the best possible opportunity to succeed. Explicit teaching removes distractions for students and allows them to focus on the most important information. It uses a highly structured environment that is focused on producing specific learning outcomes, and breaks down topics and content individually.

Literate Learners for Life follows this structure and uses a Science of Reading approach to teaching in classrooms. The initiative ensures that the content within literacy teaching and learning is knowledge-rich.  This creates better understanding for students and ensures that what they are learning is full of relevant and essential information.

Speaking personally from her own experiences as an educator in Catholic schools throughout Tasmania, Lisa discussed how teaching explicitly can impact students and also how it impacted her. She believed at the time that her own grammar improved through exposure to text, rather than being taught literacy and grammar skills explicitly. This was the same throughout her teaching degree, where there was very little taught about grammar. Educators relied heavily on learning on the job and talking to other practitioners.

“The Science of Reading and Science of Learning has impacted teachers of my era and beyond because we did not have this knowledge ourselves, so understanding how the brain learns and what is best practice is key,” Lisa said.

“When teachers know better, we do better because all we care about is our student’s well being and our students learning.” 

Recommended Resources

• Why Knowledge Matters: Rescuing Our Children from Failed Educational Theories –  E. D. Hirsch
• Teaching Reading is Rocket Science, Louisa Moats
• Proust and the Squid (The Story and Science of the Brain) – Maryanne Wolf
• Reading Reconsidered: A Practical Guide to Rigorous Literacy Instruction – Doug Lemov, Colleen Driggs, Erica Woolway
• How the Brain Learns to Read – Stanislas Dehaene

All Systems Go – Providing Insight with the Science of Learning

On 31 January 2023, Catholic Education Tasmania hosted nearly 2,000 educators in four different locations throughout the state at an All System Day – CET’s largest professional learning event to date.

Educators were informed by a nationally significant  educational experts on high impact teaching practice and the positive outcomes it has for student learning. Presenters included

• Dr Lorraine Hammond AM, Associate Professor in the School of Education at Edith Cowan University
• Ollie Lovell, Teacher, Podcaster and Author
• Dr Nathaniel Swain, Teacher, Instructional Coach and Researcher
• Michael Roberts, HITP Coach for Insight
• Toni Hatten-Roberts, HITP Coach for Insight
• Reid Smith, Ochre Education

The event was held at Wrest Point Casino in Hobart, with three other locations throughout Tasmania simultaneously broadcasting the All System Day. Attendees, virtually and in person, had the opportunity to listen to six different presentations on important aspects of the Insight project. 

There were also opportunities for educators who attended the All System Day to have discussions about the concepts and presentations they had heard, and importantly it was one of the first occasions since COVID-19 for staff in each of the regions to be in the same location.

Attendees of the Insight day spoke glowingly of the high quality and professionalism of each of the presentations that were shared with staff on the day.

Two further development days will be held later in the year, which will provide the 24 participating CET schools with system-wide training and development for all educators.

National Science of Learning Summit to be held in Hobart

A collaboration between Catholic Education Tasmania and Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn has resulted in the hosting of a national teaching and learning summit in Hobart next month.

The Teaching Matters Science of Learning National Summit is a professional multi-day learning event where educators from across Australia will convene to learn about the science of learning and high impact teaching practices, and how to develop / implement a knowledge-rich curriculum. 

Catholic Education Tasmania Executive Director Dr Gerard Gaskin said the national summit will help educators improve their teaching, and the learning outcomes of their students, via the provision of international networking and shared thinking opportunities. 

“The science of learning invites the teacher into a personal exchange with every student in their class – supported by a quality curriculum and clear principles of effective instruction. 

“It is already proving successful in drastically improving student achievement. We can’t wait to share this research with other educators across the country at the Teaching Matters Summit,” said Dr Gaskin. 

The Summit will be held at Wrest Point Convention Centre in Sandy Bay on 2 – 4 of April. It will feature keynote presentations from highly credible experts in the science of learning, Q&A sessions with panellists and educational experts, and networking opportunities for attendees. 

Experts presenting at the Teaching Matters: Science of Learning National Summit include:

• Professor Pamela Snow, Professor for the School of Education at La Trobe University
• Dr Lorraine Hammond, Associate Professor for the School of Education at Edith Cowan University
• Noel Pearson, Founder of Good to Great Schools Australia and Cape York Partnership 
• Reid Smith, Founder and Co-CEO of Ochre, teacher at Ballarat Clarendon College and a member of LaTrobe University’s Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab.

There’s still time to register! Complete your registration here.