BESTSELLER: PL Program: Timothy Shanahan and teaching reading in the middle years (3–8)
Bridge research and real classrooms, equipping you with practical strategies for fluency, deep comprehension, and tackling complex texts in the middle years.
Course Length
8 hours
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Access
365 days from enrolment
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Course Creator
Emeritus Professor Timothy Shanahan
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About this program
This comprehensive professional learning program explores the essential elements of reading instruction and effective reading practice across the primary and middle years. Drawing on decades of research and classroom application, Emeritus Professor Timothy Shanahan examines the theories, evidence and instructional approaches that underpin successful reading development.
Participants will build a deeper understanding of reading models, foundational skills, fluency, comprehension and literacy learning in the middle years. Throughout the program, Timothy Shanahan demonstrates how research can inform classroom practice, helping educators make evidence-informed decisions that improve reading outcomes for all students.
This program combines four complementary professional learning courses, all created by Timothy Shanahan:
- The Science of Reading: Reading Models and Foundational Skills
- Lifting Reading Outcomes in the Middle Years (Years 3–8)
- Text Fluency
- Improving Reading Comprehension
Learning outcomes
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Make informed decisions about what constitutes high-quality evidence in literacy education.
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Understand the affordances and constraints of six major models of reading.
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Identify the key components that influence students' reading development and academic learning.
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Recognise and apply the five essential subskills of reading.
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Use evidence-informed approaches to improve reading outcomes.
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Understand the role of text fluency and its relationship to reading comprehension.
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Implement effective strategies for teaching, assessing and monitoring fluency.
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Understand the critical role of oral language in reading comprehension development.
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Differentiate between comprehension skills and comprehension strategies.
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Apply evidence-based comprehension practices, including self-monitoring, dialogic reading and directed reading.
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Maintain text complexity while providing appropriate instructional support.
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Use targeted scaffolding to support students with increasingly complex texts.
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Plan for knowledge building and vocabulary development as part of reading instruction.
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Design effective instructional sequences that support comprehension, motivation and long-term reading growth.
Who should participate?
- Classroom Teachers Years 3–8
- Literacy Coordinators and Leaders
- Curriculum and Instructional Leaders
- Heads of Teaching and Learning
- Principals, Deputy Principals, Assistant Principals and Associate Principals
What else do I need to know?
- This PL program is self-paced and unmoderated.
- Participants have access for 365 days from registration.
- Group booking discounts apply for 6+ participants.
- This program addresses AITSL standards 1.1.2, 1.2.2, 2.1.2, 2.2.2, 2.3.2, 2.5.2, 3.1.2, 3.2.2, 3.3.2, 3.4.2, 3.6.2, 5.1.2 and 6.2.2.
About your program creator
Emeritus Professor Timothy Shanahan is one of the world's most influential literacy researchers and educators. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he served as Founding Director of the UIC Centre for Literacy.
Prior to his university career, Timothy Shanahan was Director of Reading for Chicago Public Schools. His research has focused on reading achievement, literacy in the disciplines, reading-writing relationships and evidence-based literacy instruction.
He has authored or edited more than 200 publications on literacy education and is internationally recognised for his contributions to reading research and classroom practice. Through his writing, professional learning and widely read literacy blog, he continues to influence literacy teaching and policy around the world.
Cost of participation
| Registration Type |
Price |
| Member |
$280 |
| Non-Member |
$400 |
| PL Subscription School Member |
Included |
| Automatic group booking discount (6+) |
25% off each extra enrolment |
*all tickets must be booked at the same time for the discount to apply