Science Of Reading

What is the Science of Reading?

The Science of Reading (SoR) is a comprehensive and broad range of research areas that include linguistics, cognitive psychology, education and neuroscience. This empirically supported body of research provides us with the understanding of how people learn to read and the factors that contribute to reading success. 

In 2020 St Augustine’s College commenced a professional partnership with Latrobe University’s Science of Language and Reading Lab and specifically with Emina McLean (a leading Australian Language and Literacy researcher and PhD Candidate) to develop our Literacy teaching practice in order to support all students to learn to read. 

St Augustine’s College has moved away from the whole language approach with guided reading lessons. Using the Science of Reading research, we are transitioning to an evidence-based best-practice approach to teaching foundational literacy skills called Structured Literacy (SL). 

Structured Literacy 

The Structured Literacy approach emphasises highly-explicit and systematic teaching of all important components of Literacy. 

The Science of Reading identifies five essential components that make up the Simple View of Reading. Structured Literacy at St Augustine’s includes each of these components:

• Phonemic awareness

• Phonics

• Fluency

• Vocabulary

• Comprehension

St Augustine’s Student Learning and Professional Practice Team is committed to informing our community about the Science of Reading and observing the ways in which Structured Literacy improves Literacy outcomes for all learners.

If a child memorises ten words, the child can only read ten words, but if the child learns the sounds of ten letters, the child will be able to read 350 three sound words, 4,320 four sound words and 21,650 five sound words (Kozloff, 2002).