Hello Teachers and Parents,

Welcome to Australian Literacy Clinic. Your reason for visiting us is probably due to a number of reasons. Whatever your reason, we are here to help you... no, not pretend to help, but to guide you in helping your child with their reading.

The Australian Literacy Clinic assists children with a range of learning difficulties in an environment that is controlled. The environment within the clinic is void of stimulus. We do not have colourful pictures on the wall, we do not have computers and we most certainly do not have noise. For many children with learning difficulties they also have underlying sensory issues, they find it difficult to concentrate in a 'busy' environment, they cannot process the multitude of differing noises in a classroom and this affects behaviour, attention and processing ability. That is why our environment plays such an integral role in the reading acquisition levels of our children. We use an explicit, systematic, structured and diagnostic phonics approach to reading, teaching children the skills needed to decode effectively and with accuracy.

Each day I am asked by parents questions like:

• My child is of average intelligence but is below average in reading - why?
• My child is behind in reading at school, why am I only finding out now, 3 years after they began?
• Why is it that my child can read the school books but cannot read ones that we have at home?
• Why does my child guess when they read?
• What books should I be using to help my child read?
• Is reading the same as comprehension?
• Why is my child being taught comprehension when they just cannot read?
• Why does my child always look at the pictures before the words and then tries to guess what it says?

For children with reading difficulties, the teaching of reading should not be about the education of learning but the psychology of learning. In order to understand how a child gathers, processes, files, retrieves and utilises information we need to understand the psychology of reading. By understanding the psychology of learning and reading we are able to develop appropriate programs that stop children from constantly falling through the gaps of remedial reading programs. The Australian Literacy Clinic keeps up to date with the latest research in Psychology and reading and bases its assessment and intervention programs on such research. We use an explicit, systematic, structured and diagnostic phonics approach to reading, teaching children the skills needed to decode effectively and with accuracy.

The Australian Literacy Clinic utilises researched based assessments including the AWMA, WIAT-II, WRMT-R and WMRS. When required ALC refers students to a Clinical Psychologist or School Counsellor for Cognitive Assessments.

Amanda Tocci
MAEdst, BA, GradDipEd, GradCertTESOL
Literacy Specialist / Managing Director