Explicit reading instruction in the early years: using talk and play to pair meaning and metalanguage within a systematic approach to phonics

The Australian Literacy Educators' Association (ALEA) presents this professional learning workshop on explicit reading instruction in the early years, exploring how teachers can use talk and play to pair meaning and metalanguage within a systematic approach to phonics. This session addresses one of the most important conversations in early literacy education: how to deliver rigorous, systematic phonics instruction while simultaneously ensuring that reading remains meaningful, engaging, and connected to children's oral language and world knowledge. The workshop explores practical strategies for integrating explicit phonics teaching with rich talk and purposeful play, demonstrating that systematic instruction and meaningful engagement are not opposing forces but complementary elements of effective early reading pedagogy. Participants will learn how to use metalanguage—the language we use to talk about language—alongside play-based and dialogic approaches that help young children make connections between the code-based and meaning-based dimensions of reading. This professional learning experience reflects ALEA's commitment to evidence-informed literacy teaching that draws on the full breadth of reading research, including both the systematic instruction emphasised by the science of reading and the comprehension and meaning-making processes essential for developing engaged, capable readers. The workshop is designed for early years literacy educators, Foundation to Year 2 teachers, literacy coaches, and school leaders seeking practical approaches to early reading instruction that honour both the systematic and the joyful dimensions of learning to read.