Challenge to classic literacy teaching

A TEACHING method that challenges traditional literacy techniques will be outlined at workshops in Hobart later this month.

VAS Research is holding two meetings in the coming months to promote a “phonics” approach to teaching literacy and to give an introduction to the VAS testing system they have developed which willighlight children .

The technique has been developed to help all children, especially those struggling with literacy.

VAS Research promotes a phonics first approach in infant grades because it lays the foundations for the children to be more competent in later grades and may help develop more capable visual attention spans.

VAS Research managing director and VAS Systems director Byron Harrison said phonics focused on the knowledge of letter sounds and correlating that with symbols.

Mr Harrison said that a significant number of children did not have enough of a visual attention span, which was the measurement of how much visual information someone can process at a glance.

“Visual attention span is critical to what we do,” Mr Harrison said.

The first of the two meetings will be held on September 25 from 4-6pm at the Elizabeth St Conference Centre and the second will be held on October 9 from 10am-noon.

their children and diagnose reading problems through an online testing system