New survey data from the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA) reveals that Australian teachers are highly knowledgeable, confident in their practice, and evidence-aligned in the way they teach reading – but they overwhelmingly call for stronger and more consistent system-level support.
In PETAA’s inaugural National Teaching of Reading Survey 2024, 500 Australian teachers shared how they teach reading in the primary years, providing new insight into instructional practices, materials, and professional learning from classrooms across the country.
The report confirms that most teachers are explicitly implementing the five key components of reading instruction (phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), on a daily basis.
But the findings also expose systemic gaps. Only half of all teachers report working within a coherent whole-school approach to reading, and most prefer teacher-created or third-party materials to department-provided resources.
However, respondents also indicate a strong desire for system-level support targeted at professional learning and provision of time for planning and collaboration with peers and mentors.
“This report puts teacher voice back at the heart of the national education conversation and their message is clear: Australian teachers are teaching reading well – but they are doing it under pressure,” said Dr Helen Adam, PETAA Board President and Associate Professor and Researcher at Edith Cowan University.
“It’s time to move the conversation from questioning teacher knowledge about the teaching of reading, towards providing the system level supports they are calling for and need to ensure high-quality, consistent reading instruction in every classroom at every school across Australia.”
Key findings
- Teachers effectively adjust instructional focus according to developmental needs, transitioning from largely code-based emphases in early years to greater comprehension focus in middle and upper primary.
- 98 per cent of early-years teachers cover the five key pillars of reading instruction on a daily basis
- Differentiation remains the biggest challenge, with time, resources and wide ability ranges as key barriers facing teachers
- Teachers want greater system level support for professional learning with many reporting they currently turn to online blogs and social media for support
- Only 2.6 per cent of teachers report daily professional dialogue with colleagues about reading instruction, and only 35 per cent believe their school has a whole-school approach to the teaching of reading.
The survey captures teacher voice amid national debates about reading reform which place professional expertise at the centre of the conversation.
“This research highlights that teachers are confidently combining explicit instruction with professional judgement and differentiated practice,” said Ms Megan Edwards, PETAA CEO.
“But they need support. As primary educators’ national membership association for English and literacy instruction, PETAA’s ongoing relationship with educators allows for vital, and consistent, whole-school upskilling through access to evidence-backed resources and training that connect research to practice. In 2025, this is more important than ever.”
PETAA is calling on education departments, systems and governments to:
- Support schools to implement consistent, evidence-informed whole-school approaches to reading through access to quality professional learning – and the time in which to complete it
- Invest in time and resources for teachers to collaborate, differentiate and plan
- Fund diverse classroom libraries and resources to meet the needs of all learners
The full report and a downloadable briefing summary are available at https://petaa.edu.au/w/About/reading_survey.aspx.
