Sharp Reading: Struggling Older Readers and Seven Plus

Kerry Handley is a Literacy Consultant with many years of experience. She has worked in the WA education system as a classroom teacher, K-7 district coordinator and a consultant. Before joining AISWA, in 2012, Kerry was part of the team that reconceptualised and wrote the First Steps 2nd Edition resource and associated professional development. In this role she presented to educators around the world and spent four years living in the USA. She is one of the presenters of the Sharp Reading program and has a particular interest in assisting teachers in remote aboriginal schools.

Kerry has a Masters of Education, a Graduate Diploma in Intercultural Studies and a Diploma of Teaching. She is passionate about helping improve literacy outcomes for all students.

Christopher Witt joined AISWA in 2009. Prior to that he was a Consultant at STEPS Professional Development.  At STEPS, Chris developed a literacy resource for secondary teachers: Tactical Teaching Reading. It included materials and professional learning courses and had great success nationally and internationally, helping many secondary teachers to successfully support literacy across their curriculum area.

After teaching for 25 years, Chris worked in various advisory and consultancy roles in curriculum improvement. He has been at AISWA for 12 years as a Literacy Consultant providing support for teachers and schools in professional learning and literacy improvement initiatives. This includes Sharp Reading, First Steps and Primary Connections. Key PL programs developed by Chris at AISWA include Scaffolding Adolescent Literacy and Programming and Assessment in English (P-10). 

Jill Buckrell is a Literacy Consultant with previous experience as a teacher and school leader in both urban and remote schools. She has a strong commitment to improving literacy outcomes for Aboriginal students and has been involved in several major Indigenous Education initiatives in the past as a school principal in remote WA and the Northern Territory. Jill began work at AISWA as a literacy consultant in 2012 and is involved in a number of key professional learning initiatives including: Big Six, Hot Readers and Data Conversations to Target Instruction (literacy). She is also an accredited Sharp Reading presenter and manages the implementation of this program in Western Australia. Jill co-organises the annual Broome Conference for remote Aboriginal schools. Jill’s particular interest lies in the research, development and application of quality literacy strategies and opportunities for students who underachieve in literacy.