Strengthening Writing Instruction through Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD)

We invite you to attend the 2026 LDA AGM, which will be held online on Saturday, 10th October, 2 pm - 2:45 pm AEDT. The AGM will include reports from the LDA President and Treasurer, the announcement of the 2026/2027 LDA Council and 2026 Award winners, as well as short presentations from selected award recipients. This event is open to LDA members and invited guests only. Please remember that only Standard and Consultant Members have voting rights at the AGM. Members need to register for this event. See below.

This course will be run over two sessions. Over these sessions, Julie will: Unpack how Dibels can be used as an effective universal screener for identifying risk in reading Identify steps to follow in interpreting Dibels data to inform action Understand how Dibels data can be used to set SMART targets for students with reading difficulties Identify examples of effective targets for reading difficulties Understand the process for monitoring targets Be familiar with an example ORF decision making tree for knowing next steps for instruction and intervention using the Dibels data Note: This event is for LDA Consultants only as it is funded by the Anne Barton bequest. ** This webinar will be recorded and available for LDA Consultants** Date: Tuesday 18th August 7:00  8:30 pm (Melbourne time) Tuesday 27th October 7:00 - 8:30 pm (Melbourne time) Attendance at both sessions is required to complete the course. The sessions will be recorded so you can access them at your convenience.  Cost: Free (This webinar is funded by the Anne Barton bequest) Bookings LDA Consultants would have received an email with booking details. Please contact enquiries@ldaustralia.org if you need any support. Speaker Julie Scali is a nationally recognised literacy consultant, author, and founder of Literacy Impact™, with more than 25 years of experience in evidence-based literacy instruction, school improvement, and Response to Intervention (RTI/MTSS). In 2025, she received the Learning Difficulties Australia Bruce Wicking (LDA) Award for her outstanding contribution to improving outcomes for students with learning difficulties. Julie has worked across Australia, the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland as a classroom teacher, Deputy Principal, SENCO, Support Teacher (Learning Difficulties), curriculum leader, and system-level advisor. Through Literacy Impact™, she partners with schools and systems to implement sustainable, research-aligned literacy practices and has led large-scale literacy reform projects across 35 public schools in the Northern Territory. She is the author of High Impact Reading Instruction and Intervention in the Primary Years and is widely respected for her expertise in structured literacy, writing development, data informed practice, learning difficulties. Julie is a passionate advocate for educational equity and is known for translating research into practical, high-impact teaching and leadership practices to ensure sustainable literacy excellence for all students. We look forward to seeing you at the webinar.

Dyscalculia is an under-researched and often misunderstood specific learning difficulty that is estimated to affect approximately 5-7% of the population (Butterworth et al., 2011, Szucs, 2017, Morsanyi et al, 2018). In Australian mainstream school settings, like many across the world, there is very little understanding of the exact nature of dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is often described as ‘Dyslexia with Numbers’. This oversimplified definition, combined with a lack of systematic research into dyscalculia flowing through to schools, and the absence of specialist teachers qualified in this specific learning difficulty, has led to uncertainty in the identification, diagnosis and remediation of dyscalculic learners. In this online series, Dr Ange Rogers will provide teachers, learning support professionals and school leaders with a practical understanding of dyscalculia—from early identification through to evidence-informed intervention. She will combine her extensive research in the assessment, teaching and learning of place value, to provide practical ideas and strategies to support dyscalculic learners in Tier 3 settings. Participants will explore the key characteristics and indicators of dyscalculia, examine how it differs from broader mathematics difficulties, and learn about current protocols for diagnosis. The session will also highlight the cognitive processes involved in numerical understanding, and discuss the educational, social, and emotional impacts that dyscalculic learners may experience. **This webinar will be recorded and available for 30 days after the event** Dates Session 1: Wednesday, 11th November, 7-8:30 pm AEDT (Melbourne Time) Session 2: Wednesday, 18th November 7-8:30 pm AEDT (Melbourne Time) Cost LDA Member: $100 LDA Student Member - $70 Non-Member - $130 About Dr Angela Rogers Dr Angela Rogers is an experienced primary school teacher and former Numeracy Leader. Angela is a passionate presenter who regularly facilitates Professional Development for teachers and schools across Australia. In 2014 she completed her PhD in Mathematics Education focusing on the assessment and teaching of whole number place value in Years 3-6. In her PhD she developed the Place Value Assessment Tool (PVAT) and has since created a suite of teaching resources to support this assessment. Angela has a special interest in Numeracy Intervention and supporting students with Learning Difficulties. She is currently completing a Level 7 Dyscalculia Specialist Teaching Qualification. Angela is an Adjunct Industry Fellow at RMIT University and mentors teachers and leaders through her online website the Numeracy Teachers Academy. Ange has developed a F-6 Number Fluency Program, which is currently running in over 150 schools and has four children ranging from 7-17 that keep her busy

Writing is a complex and cognitively demanding skill, yet it is often one of the most challenging areas to teach and assess effectively. This conference brings together leading research and classroom practice to explore what truly makes a difference in writing instruction. Grounded in evidence, sessions will examine high-impact approaches including explicit instruction, structured writing frameworks, and the role of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) in supporting students to plan, organise, and regulate their writing. Participants will gain practical, classroom-ready strategies to improve student outcomes across year levels, with a focus on supporting struggling writers and ensuring all learners can develop as confident, capable communicators. **This webinar will be recorded and available for 30 days after the event** Dates: Wednesday 17th June 10 am - 3 pm AEST (30 min lunch break provided) Thursday 18th June 10 am - 1 pm AEST Cost: LDA Member: $250 LDA Student Member - $200 Non-Member - $300 Course Program Day 1: Wednesday 17th June, 2026 Session 1: 10 am -11:30 am High Impact Writing Instruction: The SRSD Approach Effective writing instruction requires more than teaching text structures—it involves explicitly supporting students to plan, organise, and regulate their thinking throughout the writing process. This session explores how Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) provides a structured, evidence-based approach to improving writing outcomes for all students across Grades 1–12. We will follow students as they learn how Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) instruction gives them power for writing and learning. How students use reading to learn and then to write across genres in grade levels 1-12 will be illustrated. Powerful reading, writing, peer collaboration, and self-regulation strategies will be explored. Examples of student learning and writing will be provided, as will sources, many free, that teachers and others can use to learn more about SRSD instruction and use this powerful approach in their classrooms. Designed for educators and school leaders, this session will provide practical insights into implementing high-impact writing instruction that is both systematic and responsive to diverse learner needs. Session 2: 11:30 am - 1 pm Closing Writing Gaps in Small Group Settings with SRSD Self Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) is a genre level framework for teaching writing with the highest effect size of any writing approach researched to date. With over 200 research studies worldwide, and based on the research of Dr Karen Harris, the SRSD framework has enabled teachers to transform the writing trajectory of students all over the world. Consisting of six stages of instruction in a gradual release of responsibility model, the cornerstone of SRSD lies with the self regulatory strategies that students are taught to mastery. The impact of this is a reduction in cognitive load, increased motivation and self efficacy and a significant increase in students becoming skilled independent writers. With text level writing being an incredibly complex and cognitively demanding process for students, SRSD is a largely a missing piece of the puzzle in writing instruction and intervention. Join Julie Scali as she provides a top level overview of how teachers can feel confident in supporting students to be effective writers at the whole class level but also in how to close writing gaps in small group intervention settings where writing is otherwise challenging for students.  Learning intentions To be familiar with the Not so simple View of Writing (Berninger et al) and understand the complexity of writing for all students; and consider the added complexities for students with EALD, ADHD and other diverse backgrounds. To be able to recall the components of SRSD strategy mnemonics of TREE, TIDE, WWW, POWRE, ARMS and COPS with some accuracy by the end of the session To have an understanding on how whole class text level instruction with SRSD can be adapted to small group or 1:1 intervention To view a demo mini lesson on how to identify the structural parts of a persuasive text, to backward map taking notes onto a graphic organiser To have an understanding of the research base of SRSD in tier 2 instruction and how we can adapt whole class instruction to a small group intervention setting To understand how a writing sample can be analysed against curriculum and NAPLAN marking guide rubric to determine next steps for small group writing instruction or intervention To see an example Tier 2 Group Education Plan with SMART targets for text and sentence level writing  To see a snapshot of an SRSD planning unit that can be used with fidelity in implementing small group text level writing intervention through SRSD  Session 3: 1:30 pm - 3 pm Developing Structured Literacy Units that Integrate Word-, Sentence-, and Text-Level Instruction (Jacinta Conway) This session explores how to design Structured Literacy units that integrate word-, sentence-, and text-level instruction to improve writing outcomes in the middle years. It focuses on the role of explicit, systematic teaching in connecting spelling, vocabulary, and syntax to support sentence construction and overall text development. Participants will gain a clear, practical framework for moving beyond isolated skill instruction to a cohesive approach that builds both content knowledge and literacy skills. The session will demonstrate how structured routines, sentence-level teaching, and retrieval practice can be embedded within units of work to develop accuracy, fluency, and control in writing. This approach supports all learners, particularly those who require more explicit and integrated instruction to succeed. Day 2: Thursday 18th June, 2026 Session 1: 10 am - 11:30 am Let’s Write: Using Think Alouds to Elevate Writing Instruction in the Classroom (Barbara Friedlander) Writing is a critical life skill, and students need explicit tools to become confident, independent writers. Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) is an evidence-based approach that supports students through planning, drafting, and revising while building metacognitive awareness and self-regulation. In this session, we will focus on the powerful modeling and think-aloud stage of SRSD, where teachers make the invisible thinking of writers visible—helping students understand not just what to write, but how to think as writers. Let’s elevate writing instruction together! Session 2: 11:30 am to 1 pm Understanding and assessing handwriting fluency to support literacy (Karen Ray) In this presentation, Karen will explore the link between early handwriting skills and literacy development, including impacts on writing. This session introduces an...