Five From Five

💥 FREE Term 4 Professional Development seminars are now open for registration.

📅 Starting 14 October, at 3.30pm AEDT

🎓 These seminars are designed to help you bridge the research-practice gap, offering practical classroom ideas and explaining the rationale behind their effectiveness.

Further details and registration:
https://fivefromfive.com.au/presentations/professional-learning-seminar-series/

All registrants will receive a recording.

Professional Learning Seminar Series - Five from Five Five from Five offers seven free professional learning seminars. They are available either as scheduled webinars that anyone is welcome to attend or, when available, schools can book a presentation for whole staff professional learning either as a videoconference workshop or, depending on location a...

A new Flinders University study of primary school children shows a science‑based digital phonics reading app can support acquisition of GPCs while helping teachers quickly identify students needing extra support.

The study, involving nearly 400 children, found students who used ReadingDoctor® Online alongside regular classroom teaching improved their recall of GPCs. The more the app was used, the greater the gains, with the biggest improvements among children who started behind.

Read the full article here 👇

Reading app boosts kids' literacy A new Flinders University study of primary school children shows a science‑based digital phonics reading app can accelerate early reading while helping teachers quickly identify students […]

We are excited for this one!

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p64hs-5kRq6DAAiCwd5ysw

“Successive relearning is the term for retrieving the same content correctly two or three times, spaced days apart. Research found expanding the gap each time showed no real advantage over keeping it the same. What drives retention is banking successful retrievals, not stretching out the calendar between them. Includes free planning tool.” Jamie Clark

Read Jamie’s article here 👇

https://newsletter.jamieleeclark.com/p/successive-relearning

What Good Readers Know

“For years, we’ve tried to improve reading by teaching children what good readers do: find the main idea, make inferences, visualize, predict. But reading comprehension depends on what good readers know.” Robert Pondiscio

Key points
🔑Reading comprehension and higher-order thinking are inseparable from background knowledge.
🔑Knowledge compounds, so students with more background knowledge and vocabulary have an easier time learning new things.
🔑Teachers should spend far more time teaching students about science, history, geography, literature, art, and music, and school systems should ensure that curriculum is cumulative, sequenced, and coherent.

Read the full article here 👇

https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/what-good-readers-know/

Wiley Blevins joins Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to explain how so much differentiation can live inside your everyday phonics routines, with no separate lesson needed.

Listen to this episode to hear Wiley break down exactly what that looks like 📖📚

Listen 🎙️ ow.ly/8sjV50ZB3Ex

Screentime limits in all public schools to lift our game in the classroom

Published: 13 September 2026 Released by: Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning

The Minns Labor Government will introduce caps on the amount of time students spend learning on screens and online, helping curb excessive screen use, improve attention, and ultimately lift educational outcomes.

Screentime limits in all public schools to lift our game in the classroom The Minns Labor Government will introduce caps on the amount of time students spend learning on screens and online, helping curb excessive screen use, improve attention, and ultimately lift educational outcomes.

Writing Models

As with reading, there are some useful conceptual models associated with writing.

Juel et al. (1986) suggested that there were parallels to be drawn between the Simple View of Reading and the processes involved in writing. With this in mind, they suggested that writing must consist of at least two major components. Whilst reading had Word Recognition and Language Comprehension, they posited that the story writing process was dependent on spelling and ideation. They further acknowledged that spelling and word recognition “share a common denominator” – the alphabetic code.

Read more here 👇

Models of writing - Five from Five As with reading, there are some useful conceptual models associated with writing. Juel et al. (1986) suggested that there were parallels to be drawn between the Simple View of Reading and the processes involved in writing. With this in mind, they suggested that writing must consist of at least two m...

“Inside the fight to fix our education system

Christopher Harris, Sydney Morning Herald September 12, 2026.

In the ongoing conversation about improving our education system, clear, focused teaching methods are more crucial than ever. As highlighted in recent discussions around education reform, explicit instruction stands out as an effective approach to ensuring all students can access and master the fundamental skills.

The Briar Road public school in New South Wales is transforming school results through explicit instruction. Read the full article here. 👇

Inside the fight to fix our education system — The Sydney Morning Herald Almost everyone agrees Australia’s academic results are bad. Within the education world, an argument is under way about the best way to go about fixing them.

An Ohio Hospital Is Screening Young Kids for Reading and School Readiness

In Columbus, clinics are testing 3-to-5 year olds for foundational reading skills — allowing for intervention well before a child enters school.

An Ohio Hospital Is Screening Young Kids for Reading and School Readiness In Columbus, clinics are testing 3-to-5 year olds for foundational reading skills — allowing for intervention well before a child enters school.