• Kasia Malicka Burwood
• Kate O’Grady State Library
• Maria El-Chami Parramatta
• Jacinta Craine Sutherland
• Eugenia Ng Ku-ring-gai
• Abir El-Lahib City of Sydney
• Debbie Horgan Mid North Coast
• Vanessa Iles Reading Writing Hotline
• Pam Osmond Reading Writing Hotline
• Prof Genevieve McArthur Department of Cognitive Science at Macquarie University

• Liz McCutchen Gilgandra
• Christiane Birkett Gunnedah
• Wendy Gindi Canterbury/Bankstown
• Sarah Wild City of Canada Bay

3. Matters arising from previous Minutes

Minutes accepted by Abir El-Lahib Seconded by Jacinta Craine

4. Guest Speaker - Prof Genevieve McArthur

Genevieve is the Head of the Department of Cognitive Science at Macquarie University, Director of the Macquarie University Cognition Clinic for Reading, and founder of the Cognitive Science ERP Laboratory. Over the last 20 years, she has held research positions at the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Oxford University, and Macquarie University. The goal of her research program is to determine what causes reading and language impairments in children, and how these impairments should be treated. She is an active advocate for the rapid translation of scientific evidence into practice.

• Her place of work is the ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders.
• They have opened a clinic where people’s reading problems can be assessed. A program is then developed to help target their particular area of difficulty. This is a fee-based service, but they are hoping to offer scholarships in the future. They mainly deal with children but have worked with adults.
• The follow-up sessions can be done remotely, even the assessment, but attendance for that is preferable.
• Dyslexia affects 5% of children and there is really no definitive answer as to what causes it. Each person can have specific language impairment.
• Auditory perceptual processing is part of the process and so phonics training for English speaking people with poor reading skills is very important.
• There is a need to address the low self-concept in poor readers, as this promotes their emotional health and lowers anxiety levels making learning possible.
• Practitioners use Emotiv (wearable electroencephalography) and gaming technology for eye tracking and it increases the possibilities of bringing the assessments out into the community (away from the clinic).and it enables evidence based decision-making.
• Genevieve is the project Developer and Manager of MOTif.org.au a project which offers tests freely available online for the assessment of reading. It is designed for teachers and practitioners to use with their clients.
• She also is on the Board of Street Libraries and is the Scientific Advisor for Literacy Planet.

Answers to questions

• The sessions are immersive so they will try to have 3 per week for 45minutes each for 10 weeks. The client may need more.
• Dyslexic font?? She is not very excited about it, as although it helps to have less crowded fonts there is no way to replace fixing the specific area of difficulty each person has.
• There is no referral necessary to the clinic, self-refer. Coloured glassed don’t work, nor does music therapy…it’s a waste of effort to work around the problem rather than target the specific clients difficulty. So nothing replaces thorough assessment to find the ‘broken bits’ of the reading system and train the client in order to fix those ‘broken bits’. The assessment takes 3.5 hours and a report is provided with evidenced based treatments. Initial assessment can be $900
• Short waiting list – only a few weeks
• Literacy Planet – is an online whole reading program which can be directed by a teacher or parent, but also can be just dipped into by children. Each ‘level’ requires the user to complete 85% before being able to move on to the next level. This ensures they are moving in the correct order through the program.
• Other resources Literacy Kits and Dolly Parton Imagination Library

5. Kate O’Grady State Library rep

• Discussed the idea of holding future meetings via Bluejeans only. Some like the ability to get together face to face.
• The first meeting for 2019 will be Tuesday 19th March 2pm and we will trial this one via Bluejeans.
• The group is scheduled to run a seminar or workshop for the professional development of public library staff in 2019. Consideration of what form this might take and how this group could perhaps work in with another group to deliver on the same day to reduce the pressure on such a small group.
• Commitment and input from group members is required to make the working group viable and the development and planning of seminars possible.
• Suggestions for speakers/topics included; 1000 books before school program; Think Global, Act Local from a literacy point of view

6. AGM

• There were no nominees for Chairperson, Jacinta will continue in the role.
• Julie Just will remain as Secretary

7. Sharing

• Sutherland – Children’s week saw a swathe of activities: Coding Club, Kids Quest, Little bang Discovery club, Learning through play, Musical Story time.
• Created a Fact sheet on resources held, which could help a dyslexic reader. Dyslexia Fact Sheet
• Parramatta – running a 1000 books before school program
• Glebe Library – held an Auslan storytime
• Reading Writing Hotline – handed out some postcards from the Little People’s Literacy Learning a website with free resources and activities designed with an emphasis on learning through collaborative play and shared discovery. Contact them for your own to distribute to customers.
• Vanessa (RWH) – spoke at the ACAL Pre-Conference in Docklands Victoria – about the gaps in literacy provision and the volunteer network. Read her presentation here
• State Library – there are beautiful new exhibition spaces and therefore exhibitions. Make sure you see them. There is a calendar of Public Library events on the State Library website

8. Professional development

2018 ACAL Conference Many conference presentations have been added to the website Here are a couple which we had a brief look at and thought were interesting: Keynote: Bad, Wrong, Stupid, Don’t Belong: Shifting Perspectives on learning How volunteers are improving literacy and numeracy for current and future generations in Tasmania

ACAL Webinar Relational trust - The webinar that accompanied the AGM featured Rosie Martin a criminologist and clinical speech pathologist with expertise in the assessment of complex disorders of literacy acquisition and their treatment. She is also a facilitator of personal courage development and non-violent communication with the Centre for Courage & Renewal. Rosie talked about relational trust, the four essential elements that lead to relational trust, and applying these principles when teaching adults to read and write. Respect, Personal regard, Competence and Integrity There is acalendarof Public Library events on the State Library website

Upcoming 2019 Language, Literacy & Learning Conference– Keynote Speakers announced! The team at DSF are absolutely delighted to announce the six keynote speakers for the 2019 Language, Literacy and Learning Conference. All six speakers are exceptional – and the conference is shaping up to be an event not to be missed 4th – 6th April 2019

9. Become familiar with the Wiki

Please use the Wiki for adding ideas and resources for all those interested in Literacy. It’s easily done, just sign up, sign in and Apply to be a Writer. Then add your suggestions /ideas for our professional development event under - Events 2019 Working document for ideas and suggestions re the professional development option the group will provide for NSW Public LIbraries

10. Meeting Closed 4pm