Speld Qld Inc

18/10/2026

Don’t miss out — this is our last UFLI course for the year!

Join expert trainers Kylie Power & Kylie Eckermann for a one-day UFLI Foundations workshop on Tuesday the 18 November 2026 from 9:00am to 3:30pm at The Easts Leagues Club in Coorparoo.

🔗 Register here:
https://speld.org.au/product/ufli-foundations-kp181126f-18-november-2026/

- Learn about the science of reading
- Discover the UFLI Foundations phonics program
- Master explicit, systematic phonics instruction
- Gain tools for progress monitoring & differentiated teaching

Perfect for teachers and educators wanting to deepen their knowledge of structured literacy and evidence-based phonics instruction.

Standard ticket: $300.00 | Member ticket: $285.00 (log in for discount)

15/10/2026

What does effective explicit instruction look like in practice — and how can the science of learning help improve student achievement?

That question sits at the heart of Doug Lemov’s one-day Brisbane workshop on 13 November.

Brisbane – 13 November
Making Explicit Direct Instruction Work
Learn more and book: http://dsf.net.au/DougLemovBrisbane

Doug’s work has helped transform classroom practice in more than 20 countries by translating the Science of Learning into practical, high-impact teaching strategies designed to improve student outcomes. And the impact resonates with educators: 98% of workshop attendees agree or strongly agree that the topics discussed support student achievement in their school and classroom.

This is not a traditional conference presentation. Participants can expect:
• Classroom video analysis
• Real-world teaching examples
• Guided discussion and practice
• Evidence-informed insights
• Practical strategies to implement immediately

The workshop is designed for classroom teachers, school leaders, curriculum leaders, learning support and specialist teachers, allied professionals, and anyone committed to improving teaching practice through evidence-based instruction.

15/10/2026

Books of the Week: Totem Series!

If you are looking for a decodable reader series for older catch-up readers, The Totem Series is perfect for you!

The Totem Series has been carefully designed to support older students who need to rebuild reading confidence through a structured, systematic approach. The series follows a carefully sequenced progression of phonic knowledge, allowing students to consolidate previously learned concepts before building on them.

Each book reinforces previously taught knowledge before introducing the next stage of learning. This gradual progression gives students repeated opportunities to experience success, recognise patterns and strengthen understanding.

The synopsis is as follows:

'Zak’s adventures begin when he’s captured by two men and his shepherd’s staff acquires special powers, designed to appeal to older reluctant readers with exciting and motivating stories and illustrations.'

If you would like to borrow these or any other resources that we have in our library, you can view our catalogue here: https://speld.org.au/library/

Borrowing is only available to Speld Qld Financial Members. You can become a Speld Qld member here: https://speld.org.au/membership/

11/10/2026

Queensland!

Make sure to keep an eye out this week for our iconic landmarks to be lit up in a gorgeous red to spread awareness for Dyslexia Awareness Month.

This is all thanks to Code REaD Dyslexia Network who organises this each year to help raise awareness, support and empower Australians affected by Dyslexia.

11/10/2026

Here is a fantastic and FREE opportunity for teachers to get more information about how they can teach and support gifted students.

You can find out more information about how to register for this webinar on their post.

We've partnered with Dr Michelle Ronksley-Pavia to deliver a free webinar on teaching and supporting gifted students.

Dr Ronksley-Pavia is a senior lecturer in inclusion and special education at Griffith University, and an internationally recognised researcher in gifted education, twice-exceptionality (gifted students with disability) and inclusive education.

In this session, she'll explore contemporary research to help you strengthen your knowledge, understanding and confidence in implementing gifted education practices. 💡

This session is aimed at primary and secondary teachers, heads of curriculum and departments, school leaders, and inclusion teachers and leaders.

📅 Wednesday 14 October
🕞 3:30–4:30 pm
👉 Register: https://events.qcaa.qld.edu.au/event.aspx?e=3080&r=310

11/10/2026

Register here for our next Inala Sounds-Write course: https://speld.org.au/product/sounds-write-4-day-course-ke091126f-9-nov-10-nov-11-nov-12-nov-2026/

Dates/times:
9.00am to 3.30pm each day
9 November to 12 November 2026
(Please arrive 15 mins early for a 9.00am start)

Venue:
The Blue Fin Fishing Club
24 Lilac Street
Inala Qld 4077

What does the training cover?

- Learn how to teach the skills, concepts, and code knowledge students need to master in order to become competent readers, writers, and spellers.
- Discover how to introduce them to the Initial Code in the first year of school, moving from CVC words to words with a progressively more complex structure, and then transitioning to learning the Extended Code, alongside polysyllabic words in Y1.
- Learn how to teach all the different Sounds-Write lessons (or activity types), and have ample opportunity to practice them yourself.
- Find out how to teach Sounds-Write to groups of different sizes, so you can work with the whole class, small intervention groups, or one-to-one.
- Learn how to teach through errors—one of the cornerstones of the Sounds-Write approach—and how to conduct formative assessment and use differentiation as an integral part of your teaching.
- Learn how to assess where a new student should start the programme.

07/10/2026

One of our expert trainers, Kylie Power, is once again bringing Sounds-Write to Brisbane Northside!

Register now to attend this 4-day course to learn the skills, concepts and code knowledge necessary to teach children to read and spell from Prep to Y6, or use in an intervention setting for students of any age.

You can register here: https://speld.org.au/product/sounds-write-4-day-course-kp041126f-4-nov-5-nov-11-nov-12-nov-2026/

Dates/times:
9.00am to 3.30pm each day
4 November - 5 November and 11 November - 12 November 2026
Please arrive 15 minutes prior for a prompt 9.00am start.

Venue:
The O'Shea Centre
19 Lovedale St
WILSTON QLD 4051

06/10/2026

Books of the Week!

From strange sports to wild inventions, take a look at the world's weirdest stories: stories too strange to be made up! Each weird book in the series is written with a high interest level to appeal to a more mature audience with a lower level of complexity for struggling readers. Clear visuals and colourful photographs help with comprehension.

Fascinating information and wild facts that will hold the readers' interest are conveyed in considerate text for older readers, allowing for successful mastery of content. A table of contents, glossary with simplified pronunciations, and index all enhance comprehension and vocabulary.

If you would like to borrow these or any other games that we have in our library, you can view our catalogue here: https://speld.org.au/library/

Borrowing is only available to Speld Qld Financial Members. You can become a Speld Qld member here: https://speld.org.au/membership/

06/10/2026

Brisbane is SELLING FAST!

Next month, internationally renowned educator and Teach Like a Champion author Doug Lemov is coming to Brisbane for one day only! He will be presenting his highly anticipated professional learning workshop in 'Making Explicit Direct Instruction Work'.

When: Friday 13 November
Where: Brisbane Airport Convention Centre

If you’ve been hoping to learn directly from Doug Lemov, now is the time to secure your place. You can explore the workshops and book: https://www.dsf.net.au/douglemov

Presented by The Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation (DSF), in collaboration with Speld QLD and SPELD Victoria, the workshops will give educators the opportunity to learn directly from Doug and explore what successful, evidence-informed teaching looks like in real
classrooms.

Across this workshop, participants will work with real classroom footage, examine instructional choices and leave with practical strategies they can apply immediately.

With his Perth workshop now fully booked, places in the Brisbane and Melbourne workshops are filling quickly.

05/10/2026

Welcome to Term 4! We hope you had a great school holidays!

We are preparing for a very busy end of year with many workshops for you to look forward to such as Sounds-Write, UFLI, and Word Origins. If you would like to prepare yourself or your staff for the new year, now is the best time to book in!

You can find all of our available workshops and events here: https://speld.org.au/workshop-training/

As always, Speld Qld is looking forward to helping support you all this term so if you have any questions, please email us at [email protected] or give us a call 07 3391 7900.