The Literacy Wars Why Teaching Children to Read and Write Is a Battleground in Australia

Drawing comparisons with the United Kingdom and the United States, this educational reference details the often bitter disagreements that occur in Australia between the critics who want to reclaim old ways of teaching literacy and the educators who emphasize the possibilities for creative change. It illustrates the strong beliefs, deep divisions, and politicization of the debate, which has repercussions for policy decisions and funding. An essential reference for anyone involved with literacy education, this contention explains that the challenge facing literacy teachers everywhere is to find a balance between preserving the legacy of the past and preparing children for the literacy demands of the future.

Ilana Snyder is a education professor at Monash University and the author of Hypertext, Silicon Literacies, and Teachers and Technoliteracy.