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2015 - Parent workshop a great success!!

27 February 2015 by Brad Merrick

Dr Bartek Rajkowski returned to the Barker Institute on Wednesday evening and shared a wealth of knowledge from his own research and experience in teaching students how to read. His presentation covered the latest research, which confirmed the importance of having a programme that explicitly teaches reading with a focus on synthetic phonics and the connections between seeing, hearing, understanding and learning language and connecting these factors in a meaningful and accessible way. He covered a multitude of ideas and also looked at various 'apps' that can support the reading process with students. Following on from the inaugural lecture that he provided for the Barker Institute on the 5th of February, Dr Rajkowski unpacked the myths behind dyslexia and provided a range of strategies to the audience of more than 250 attendees. His ability to entertain and captivate the audience was highly valued and we thank him for presenting at the Barker Institute. In the future the Barker Institute hopes to develop further collaborative research into this area of reading, looking to collaborate with Dr Rajkowski. If you are interested in possibly being involved in this work, please contact us at info@barkerinstitute.com.au It was great evening and it was fantastic to see the broader community and parents engaged in such an important part of the learning process. Here are some comments from those attended the workshop.
  • Informative with specific strategies to use. I also realised that the facts I held about dyslexia are false.
  • Great presenter who knew his topic, interesteing and informative
  • A clearer understanding of dyslexia and how a child learns to read. A much better understanding of the different elements of weakness a child may face if they present difficulty in reading (i.e. phonological awareness, phonological memory etc...)
  • Simple explanation for parents and his positive attitude advising parents to work with teachers and other specialists
  • Fascinating information presented in an engaging manner
  • The lecture was enjoyable, informative and entertaining. As a teacher, I learned some new strategies to use with my children
  • Just so positive and research based information. Great presenter

Please go to the Professional Learning menu on the webpage to find the resources from the parent forum. This will be updated regularly. For more information go to the @reading doctor on twitter or facebook or visit the webpage via www.adelaidespeech.com We thank you for attending and look forward to seeing you again next time.

About the Author : Brad Merrick

As well as being the Director of the Barker Institute, Brad is the Director of Research in Learning at Barker College. As a music teacher he has a passion for learning and enjoys teaching, conducting ensembles and performing. He has a keen interest in emerging technologies, professional learning and creative pedagogy. His doctorate investigated the relationship between student self-efficacy and self-regulation in creative learning environments. He has published widely and has also presented at many national and international conferences. His professional experience in education has also involved casual academic roles at the University of Sydney, University of NSW, University of Western Sydney and the University of Queensland. At present he is National Vice President of the Australian Society of Music Education.