In my search for suitable text examples to share with teachers for shared reading, I found myself returning yet again to Valerie Worth's wonderful collection of short poems about everyday items- ' All The Small Poems and Fourteen More. '  Poetry along with other text types deserve to be represented in the texts chosen for shared reading. Valerie Worth's  poetry possesses much to inform young readers about writing and the ways in which poets play with language and structure. Valerie's poem 'Backyard' sets up a pattern of unrhymed couplets, where initially the first line is long and the second line short. This pattern continues through five successive couplets, at which point she reverses the order.  The poet demonstrates total control here, deciding when to flip the line length. We can infer from the poet's clever pattern change that she has done this to signify a change in the prevailing weather in the backyard, resulting from the hanging out of washin...

 I am both proud and humbled to be invited to deliver the Annual Donald Graves Address at the Australian Literacy Educator's Association (A.L.E.A) National Conference in Darwin, in July this year.  Rare air indeed, to follow in the footsteps of previous presenters,  Mem Fox, Ralph Fletcher and Robyn Ewing among others. I feel duly honoured by the special opportunity  afforded me. Most importantly, it presents as a highly valued opportunity to honour the incalculable global contribution Donald Graves' research and publications made to the teaching of writing, as well as his personal impact on my teaching and writing life. My heart sings... Donald Graves was a mild-mannered, writing revolutionary who impacted pedagogical approaches to writing, globally. I very much look forward to celebrating his incredible legacy -past, present and future.  Diving back into the life and times of Donald Graves as part of my preparation, I have been reminded of his strong and abidi...