The Big Six: a whirlwind tour

Overview 

Video recording of a Literacy Hub webinar delivered on 4 May 2022. 

Foundational knowledge on the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of the Big Six of Literacy. 

Summary of why each skill is essential to reading acquisition and how to help students develop each skill. 

Strategies and ideas shared by educators who attended the live event. 

Who is this webinar for? 

Beginning teachers of students in Foundation to Year 2; teachers who are unfamiliar with the Big Six; teachers wanting to refresh their knowledge of the Big Six. 

What will you learn? 

The basics of the Big Six of Literacy. 

Practical strategies for use in your classroom. 

Presenters 

Kerrie Shanahan has a strong background in primary and tertiary education. She has written more than 150 student books and teacher resources, specialising in literacy in the early years. 

Aimee Bloom is an experienced teacher and educational leader who is passionate about supporting teachers to deliver evidence-based best practice teaching. 

Related content 

The reading process and ‘the Big Six’ 

This is a short, research-based overview of the Big Six of reading, published by Pearson. This summary may be helpful for teachers who are new to the science of reading or for teachers who want to learn more about how to support their learners to develop fundamental reading skills. 

The ‘Big 6’ components of reading 

This article, published by the South Australian Department for Education, explains the relationship between the Big Six of Literacy and models of reading such as the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Aimed at readers who already have a foundational understanding of the Big Six, it is an interesting read for teachers who are wanting to delve more deeply into the science of reading. 

Teaching reading: Why the ‘Fab Five’ should be the ‘Big Six’ 

This paper, published by Edith Cowan University, presents a case for the inclusion of oral language and early literacy experiences as an additional and foundational element to the five core reading skills originally identified. It is an in-depth academic look at the science of reading, helpful for teachers wanting to explore the research more closely.  

Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory and practice 

This paper explores the multifaceted nature of reading and the evidence that reading acquisition is a process that begins well before formal schooling commences. Published by Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and Haskins Laboratories, this paper may be of interest for early childhood teachers and teachers of students in Foundation to Year 2 who want to explore the research first-hand.