Seminar 5 – Teaching Reading Comprehension in Primary School

Five from Five is an Australian community education initiative, guided by The Academy for the Science of Instruction, dedicated to improving literacy levels by ensuring all children receive effective, evidence-based reading instruction. This is Seminar 5 in their Professional Learning Seminar Series, focusing specifically on Teaching Reading Comprehension in Primary School. Presented by Maddy Goto, this 75-minute online seminar examines how students develop from beginning to skilled readers, with a focus on the sub-skills and processes that underpin strong reading comprehension. Participants explore how students need to develop accuracy and fluency, build strong vocabulary and general knowledge, and employ processes such as inferencing and understanding of syntax — and critically, how these skills can be taught explicitly to improve comprehension outcomes. The seminar is suitable for F–6 classroom and specialist teachers, school executive, and support staff. Five from Five's professional learning seminars are available free of charge, either as scheduled webinars open to anyone or as bookable presentations for whole-staff professional learning via videoconference or in schools. This accessibility makes Five from Five one of the most important free professional learning resources available to Australian primary educators committed to evidence-based reading instruction. The seminar took place on March 18, 2026.