Hempenstall, K. (March 2016) Read About It: Scientific Evidence for Effective Teaching of Reading. J. Buckingham, Ed., Research Report from the Centre for Independent Studies. Available at:  https://dataworks-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Kerry.pdf

Summary

Kerry Hempenstall’s Read About It: Scientific Evidence for Effective Teaching of Reading synthesizes decades of international research to outline the scientific foundations of effective reading instruction. The report argues that around one million Australian children face preventable reading failure, largely due to inconsistent application of evidence-based teaching methods rather than lack of resources. Drawing on major meta-analyses such as the U.S. National Reading Panel (2000), Hempenstall identifies five interdependent “keys” to reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The report stresses that explicit, systematic instruction—particularly in the early years—is critical for literacy success. This direct approach, in contrast to discovery or whole-language methods, is especially effective for disadvantaged and at-risk students. Each key component is explored in detail: phonemic awareness as foundational to decoding; systematic synthetic phonics as the most effective method for word recognition; fluency as the bridge between decoding and comprehension; vocabulary as the driver of understanding; and comprehension as the culmination of these skills.

Hempenstall demonstrates that teacher quality and instructional method have greater impact on student outcomes than socioeconomic factors or funding levels. Drawing on longitudinal and experimental evidence, he concludes that evidence-based, explicit instruction—supported by ongoing teacher training and assessment—can drastically reduce literacy failure. The report calls for education policy, teacher education, and classroom practice to align with scientific evidence, marking a shift from ideology to empiricism in literacy teaching.