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write read - Freedom Scientific

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<strong>write</strong><br />

to<br />

<strong>read</strong><br />

inspiration. hope. future.


Why are we calling this the Write To Read project, and what is it?<br />

There’s no spelling mistake - we want to really highlight that a person with dyslexia sees a sea of words and<br />

often can’t comprehend them.<br />

The Write to Read project was created by The Westport Club with the assistance of Quantum Technology and<br />

the support of ClubsNSW, to provide inspiration, hope and a future to children in the Port Macquarie - Hastings<br />

region.<br />

The Write To Read project will provide state-of-the-art technology that supports children with significant learning<br />

difficulties such as dyslexia, at school. Learning difficulties can affect learning at all levels of education and<br />

their impact will vary from child to child. As many as 10% of children in Australia suffer from dyslexia or a<br />

similar learning difficulty.<br />

The technology, called Wynn, can automatically convert any text into speech, enabling students to listen to<br />

their books, assignments and tests; and as each word is spoken it is also highlighted on screen so students<br />

can follow along, improving both their <strong>read</strong>ing and listening skills.<br />

Many children with learning difficulties experience severe frustration, low self esteem, uncontrollable behaviour<br />

both at school and at home and social conflict, followed by unemployment, poverty, family breakdowns,<br />

alcoholism, drug abuse and dependency when they are older. To reduce the impact of a learning disability it<br />

is important to develop strategies and use appropriate technology to compensate for learning problems, and<br />

enable children to work independently and help them achieve their education and life goals.<br />

The Westport Club is going to fund the implementation of the adaptive technology into 11 schools in the Port<br />

Macquarie - Hastings region. The Club has invested $50,000, with a further $5,000 support from ClubsNSW to<br />

purchase enough software and provide appropriate training to teachers in the schools.<br />

Project implementation into schools<br />

With the assistance of the NSW Department of Education and Training, The Westport Club and Quantum<br />

Technology were able to identify schools in the Port Macquarie - Hastings region which would benefit the most<br />

from the availability of this adaptive technology.<br />

Schools to benefit from the Write to Read project in the Port Macquarie - Hastings region are:<br />

Primary Schools<br />

• Port Macquarie Public School - Grant Street, Port Macquarie<br />

• Tacking Point Public School - Bangalay Drive, Port Macquarie<br />

• Hastings Public School - Waniora Parkway, Port Macquarie<br />

• Westport Public School - Widderson Street, Port Macquarie<br />

•<br />

Wauchope Public School - Waugh Street, Wauchope<br />

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•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

North Haven Public School - Oxley Highway, Wauchope<br />

St Agnes Primary - Boronia Street, Port Macquarie<br />

St Joseph’s Primary - Warlters Street, Port Macquarie<br />

St Peter’s Primary - Ocean Drive, Port Macquarie<br />

High Schools<br />

• Westport High School - Findlay Avenue, Port Macquarie<br />

• Port Macquarie High School - Owen Street, Port Macquarie<br />

Why is The Westport Club doing this?<br />

The Westport Club’s vision is to ‘make a significant contribution to the quality of community life’ and in conjunction<br />

with the Mingara/Dymocks Literacy Foundation has al<strong>read</strong>y contributed $6,000 in books and teaching resources<br />

to schools in the Port Macquarie - Hastings region to help improve literacy and instill a love of <strong>read</strong>ing in schoolage<br />

children. It was through this initiative that Dyslexia Campaigner, Jim Bond, approached the club to see if it<br />

could assist children with significant learning difficulties such as dyslexia.<br />

In 2006, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducted a national survey of literacy standards and noted<br />

that 52% of Australians aged 15 to 19 had a literacy level that “was insufficient to meet the complex demands of<br />

everyday life and work”. When confronted with these statistics, The Westport Club and ClubsNSW felt compelled<br />

to make another positive contribution to literacy in NSW.<br />

The Write To Read project is a positive opportunity for the club to strengthen its existing commitment to improve<br />

literacy in schools. In NSW, 13 schools are al<strong>read</strong>y using the Wynn software and their teachers have received<br />

training from Quantum Technology. The Westport Club feels that the implementation of the software into another<br />

11 schools will have a hugely powerful impact, almost doubling its availability in NSW schools. This action by The<br />

Westport Club, ClubsNSW and Quantum Technology has the potential to help to start break cycles, so that the<br />

lives of many children in the Port Macquarie - Hastings region are positively impacted.<br />

What are learning difficulties?<br />

Children with learning difficulties may seem bright because they can talk well and have good ideas, but they<br />

cannot put these ideas down on paper and ultimately don’t do as well as expected at school. Children with<br />

learning difficulties may:<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

find it hard to <strong>write</strong>;<br />

have poor handwriting;<br />

take longer than other children to finish written work;<br />

have had speech or language problems when younger;<br />

have trouble remembering times tables;<br />

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•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

have poor memory for oral instructions;<br />

have trouble following a line of print;<br />

have concentration problems because it is hard for them to do the work;<br />

become disruptive, distracted or fidgety.<br />

Children with specific learning difficulties can face a wide range of challenges, such as problems in spelling,<br />

writing, <strong>read</strong>ing and copying, as well as issues with numeracy. Learning difficulties do not happen because of<br />

low intelligence or poor teaching. It is important to recognise that learning difficulties worry children and can lead<br />

to social or behavioral problems and children need support and encouragement to overcome these effects.<br />

Failure to learn to <strong>read</strong> can have serious consequences for children. They are at increased risk of:<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

developing mental health problems, such as depression;<br />

juvenile delinquency;<br />

not finishing school;<br />

being less responsive to health education;<br />

being unable to cope with managing chronic disorders such as diabetes or asthma;<br />

attempting suicide;<br />

ending up in jail.<br />

These are just some of the serious potential outcomes for children with dyslexia who go without intervention.<br />

Dyslexia has serious social and economic costs too.<br />

Through its passing of the Education Amendment (Educational Support For Children With Significant Learning<br />

Difficulties) Bill 2008, the NSW government committed to provide educational support for children with significant<br />

learning difficulties.<br />

Instrumental to the passing of this legislation was dyslexia sufferer and campaigner, Jim Bond, and Rev.<br />

the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes AC MLC, who, following the passing of the Bill, continued to negotiate with the<br />

Director General of the NSW Department of Education and Training, Michael Coutes-Trotter, and Treasury to<br />

gain further funds for additional special education teachers. $10.9 million was allocated which enabled 286<br />

teachers to have specialised training in special needs’ education. This covered most schools in NSW.<br />

In 2010, an on-line training course has been designed by the NSW Department of Education and Training<br />

for teachers to help them assess the needs of children with special needs. To date, 1,300 teachers have<br />

registered and expressed an interest in undertaking the 3 month training program. This is expected to<br />

rollout in Term 3 this year.<br />

The training of special education teachers will help support the Write To Read project and help provide early<br />

intervention for students suffering from significant learning difficulties. With intervention and support, some<br />

children with special needs will become successful <strong>read</strong>ers.<br />

4


The Jim Bond Story<br />

Jim Bond knows what it’s like to feel the frustration of a learning difficulty; he suffers from dyslexia. For 20<br />

years, Mr Bond from Killarney Vale on the NSW Central Coast, has campaigned to have dyslexia recognised as<br />

a disability to enable early support for children suffering from the condition, and specialised training for special<br />

needs’ teachers.<br />

With tenacity and passion, Mr Bond engaged the support of Rev. the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes AC MLC,<br />

representative of the NSW Legislative Council, to assist him in getting a private member’s bill passed through<br />

the NSW Parliament, recognising dyslexia as a disability and children with it as having ‘significant learning<br />

difficulties’.<br />

Through its passing of the Education Amendment (Educational Support For Children With Significant Learning<br />

Difficulties) Bill 2008, the government committed to provide educational support for children with significant<br />

learning difficulties. After 20 years, Mr Bond’s tireless efforts finally paid off. He has been instrumental in ensuring<br />

children in Australia suffering from dyslexia have access to a supportive learning environment.<br />

Jim Bond’s story is documented in his paper “Falling Between The Cracks” available via www.pc.gov.au.<br />

The Westport Club<br />

The Westport Club stands as testament to a successful adaptation to change. Originally known as Grand United<br />

Port Macquarie West Bowling Club and begun in a modest clubhouse built in 1958 on the banks of the beautiful<br />

Hastings River, the Club was unable to overcome the challenges facing the club industry and faced liquidation.<br />

In February 2006, an amalgamation with Mingara Recreation Club let the Club not only survive, but thrive. Within<br />

a short space of time it has undergone a transformation that has led to its recognition as a valuable community<br />

asset. Not simply an absorption or ‘takeover’ of a struggling club by a larger one, but its reinvigoration to forge<br />

stronger links to its local community and create its own path to a strong future.<br />

The Westport Club is becoming well known in the Port Macquarie community for its dedication in working towards<br />

its vision to make a significant contribution to the quality of community life and this vision, this pervades all aspects<br />

of the club’s operations.<br />

5


eferences<br />

Bond, J.J. (1999), “Falling Between The Cracks; How the System fails dyslexics”<br />

Horney, A. 2009, “Exploring the effects of Digital Note Taking on Student Comprehension of Science Texts”,<br />

Journal of Special Education Technology, 2009, Vol. 24, No. 3).<br />

Dyslexia Working Party (2010), “Helping people with dyslexia: a national action agenda”.<br />

Report to the Hon Bill Shorten, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services.<br />

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20081204009<br />

http://www.quantumtechnology.com.au<br />

contact<br />

For further information please contact:<br />

John Millard<br />

Community Services Manager<br />

Mingara Leisure Group<br />

Mingara Drive, Tumbi Umbi NSW 2261<br />

P: 4349 7858<br />

M: 0404 820 681<br />

E: jmillard@mingara.com.au<br />

Kim Bailey<br />

Brand & Communications Manager<br />

Mingara Leisure Group<br />

Mingara Drive, Tumbi Umbi NSW 2261<br />

P: 4349 7709<br />

M: 0411 349 913<br />

E: kbailey@mingara.com.au<br />

Tim Connell<br />

Managing Director<br />

Quantum Technology Pty Ltd<br />

5 South Street, Rydalmere NSW 2116<br />

P: 8844 9888<br />

E: tconnell@quantumtechnology.com.au<br />

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