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Location: 1C73

Copyright © 2005 University of Canberra

Updated February 9, 2007

Centre Stage:
Schools and Community Centre

canberra.edu.au/centres/schools-community

What do you do?

We're best known for the development of the Scaffolding Literacy method of teaching and learning. This unique pedagogical approach is a highly integrated and sequential approach to teaching reading, spelling and writing. It has been characterised as providing 'high challenge - high support' to learners.

Because it explicitly teaches children how written text is structured (or 'constructed' by the author) this approach has been shown to be highly effective with learners at all levels, but especially with weak or confused readers and struggling writers.

Why is it important?

Students in ACT schools benefit from our work. Many Canberrans are familiar with the Centre because of its unique approach to out-of-school literacy remediation for primary and secondary students who are failing at literacy tasks. In conjunction with the ACT Department of Education & Training, the Centre runs the Parents as Tutors Program - designed to teach a parent or carer how to work with their child using the Scaffolding Literacy method. This approach has been shown to have positive outcomes that are sustainable long after involvement in the program.

What's new?

Recently the Centre has been working with literacy academics at UC to develop training courses for both pre-service and in-service teachers. The Scaffolding Literacy Education unit for undergraduates is proving very popular and a semester-long in-service program, for ACT teachers specialising in ESL (English as a second language) and in teaching Indigenous students, successfully demonstrated the value of more sustained in-service programs for practicing teachers.