11. Training

When seeking training, it’s first important to know what you need to learn. The International Dyslexia Association has written standards for both mainstream classroom teachers of reading and intervention experts, which provide an excellent basis for working this out.
There are free webinars from the US’s 95% Group called Rethinking Phonological Awareness, Orthographic Mapping is a Critical Skill for Learning New Words and Helping Older Learners Master Phoneme Manipulation.
AUSPELD has produced teacher and parent guides called Understanding Learning Difficulties, and made the content of the parent guide freely available on this website. As of July 2020, they are launching free online literacy webinars with world experts.
The UK Communication Trust has free online training about children’s speech, language and communication.
Cracking the ABC Code runs face-to-face and online training.
DSF in Perth has an extensive training calendar and an affordable online course called Understanding Learning Difficulties.
EdWeb.net has a free online one-hour webinar with Dr Nickola Wolf Nelson called “Teaching Students with Literacy Problems including dyslexia“.
Jolly Phonics: SPELD SA and DSF in Perth have Jolly Phonics presenters, and the SA ones at least can travel. The UK website also lists some Australian training, and in Victoria, Jacqui Tarquinio can also provide training, see her Phonics In Melbourne website.
Kristin Anthian is an Educational Consultant in Melbourne’s west who runs synthetic phonics training for teachers.
The Literacy Hub is a federal-government-funded website with free webinars, including one on explicit, direct instruction in phonics.
Get Reading Right runs training, both in person and on the internet.
Claire Scott is a Melbourne consultant who runs training on Spelling Mastery, Corrective Reading and other Direct Instruction programs. cgscott@netspace.net.au, 0409 893 527.
Jocelyn Seamer is a teacher in the Northern Territory who runs online training.
Learnasaurus is a Queensland company run by experienced teacher Leslie Keast-Patch, who runs workshops for parents and teachers.
Learning Difficulties Australia runs training and webinars for teachers, and puts some of them on its YouTube channel, where you can watch them for free.
Learning Made Easier is run by Christine Killey who has a training calendar focussed on spelling and reading.
Learning Matters in New Zealand runs training.
Lindamood-Bell may be able to offer training in the LiPS program, which is their program with strong scientific evidence.
The Literacy Hub is a federally-funded website with free webinars on phonics and many other things.
Little Learners Love Literacy has a training calendar.
Melbourne-based linguist Lyn Stone runs lots of training
There is a Multilit training calendar.
Debbie Heppelwhite at Phonics International in the UK has online training in systematic, explicit synthetic phonics.
Reading Rockets in the US have a free online teacher training course called Reading 101.
There is an international Spalding training calendar, and an Australian one.
The Reading in the Rockies 2017 presentations by David Kilpatrick are available online here. Essential viewing for all teachers of reading.
Speech Pathologist Helen Botham runs training for teachers and parents in Cued Articulation, both in person and online.
Sounds~Write is from the UK but has several Australian trainers, you can find their details here. A list of all the upcoming Sounds Write training around the world, both face to face and online, is here. They also have a free online Udemy course intended for parents of 4-6 year-olds about teaching phonemic awareness, reading and spelling.
Marian Dunn at Write to Read in Melbourne runs training in explicit synthetic phonics.
All Reading in Bendigo runs training in the Direct Instruction program Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons.
The UK’s Tricia Millar runs online training in her programs for older learners called That Reading Thing and That Spelling Thing.
A US company called Learning By Design runs online webinars with a focus on spelling.
SPELD-SA runs Jolly Phonics training as well as other training related to learning difficulties.
The University of London, UCL Institute of Education and Dyslexia International run a free, online course called Supporting Children with Difficulties in Reading and Writing.
There is a Jolly Phonics YouTube Channel, with a lot of information about how to use this teaching method and its materials.
There is a talk on YouTube by UK teacher-trainer Sue Lloyd called “What causes reading problems and how can we prevent them?“
There are a few short, useful videos by UK expert Ruth Miskin on Youtube, such as: How to teach children to read
How to teach blending to children
Ruth Miskin demonstrates how to teach complex sounds
Assessment and groupings for speedy progress