School of Education

Professor Judith Rivalland

Judith is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Education and was previously the Head of the School of Education. She established the Reading Centre at Edith Cowan University. In that capacity she worked regularly with the West Australian Department of Education and the AISWA.

Judith works with academics who are enquiring into how children learn the processes for learning to read and write. She developed the continuum for the First Steps Spelling and Writing projects and has been a major researcher for numerous National Literacy Projects. Currently there are 111 citations of her work and 1550 downloads.

Recent research

• With Professor Caroline Barratt-Pugh: Evaluation of the KindiLink Pilot initiative in Western Australia. Funded: Dept of Ed WA (100,000) 2016 - 2018
• Advisory committee. Kindytxt project: Improving parental engagement in children's learning and schooling through a literacy‐based text messaging program (Kindytxt.) Funded: Ian Potter Foundation ($150,000) and Fogarty Foundation(50,000) 2019 - 2022
• Advisory Committee for AISWA Writing in the Middle Years Project

Research areas and interests

• Language and literacy development from the early to secondary years of education
• Difficulties in learning literacy from the early to secondary years of schooling
• Reading and comprehension development
• Writing and spelling development
• Teacher professional learning in language and literacy education
• Effective Teaching of literacy

Awards and recognition

• Ministers National Language and Literacy Award  (2007)
• Australian College of Education Western Australia Medallist for Service to Education (2007)
• Carrick Institute National Citation for University teaching (2007)
• ALEA National Award for Service (2004)
  Australian Literacy Educators Association
• Services to ALEA (Perth Local Council) Award (1999) Literacy. 25: 11-19
• Literacy. 25: 11-19 Australian Literacy Educators Association

Editorial responsibilities

• 2002 - 2007: Co-editor Australian Journal of language and Literacy
• 1998 - 2009: Reviewer Australian Journal of language and Literacy
• 2002 - 2009: Reviewer for Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities
• 2002 - 2004: Reviewer for Journal of Education: Mauritius Institute of Education

Qualifications

• Master of Arts, United States of America, 1987.
• Bachelor of Education, The University of Western Australia, 1974.
• Diploma of Physical Education, The University of Western Australia, 1962.

Research Outputs

Research Projects

• Quality Talk: Talk for thinking, reading and writing, Association of Independent Schools of WA, AISWA - Grant, 2013 ‑ 2015, $14,994.
• Supporting Students to improve their written literacy skills the middle and upper years primary schooling (Years 4-8), Edith Cowan University, ECU Industry Collaboration - Grant, 2006 ‑ 2010, $128,270.
• Identification of Effective Models of Implementing Getting it Right in Secondary Schools, Department of Education and Training WA, Grant, 2007 ‑ 2009, $42,093.
• Literacy Intervention: Supporting students with literacy difficulties in the middle and upper years of primary schooling, Edith Cowan University, ECU Industry Collaboration - Grant, 2005 ‑ 2008, $169,000.
• The Identification of Resources to Support Children Learning to Read in the Early Years of School, Department of Education and Training WA, Grant, 2007 ‑ 2008, $47,185.
• Data Informed Teaching Phase III: Utilising assessment to inform literacy teaching in the early years of schooling , Association of Independent Schools of WA, AISWA - Grant, 2007, $15,768.
• The Identification of Resources to Support Children's Social and Emotional Development, Department of Education and Training WA, Grant, 2007, $47,185.
• Effective teaching and learning practices for students with learning difficulties initiative, Department of Education, Science and Training, Grant, 2004 ‑ 2005, $2,700.
• Effective Teaching and Learning Practices Leading to Improved Literacy Outcomes in the Early Years of Schooling - RFT 957, Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Grant, 2001 ‑ 2005, $598,548.
• Data-driven teaching: Utilising assessment to inform literacy teaching in the early years of schooling, Association of Independent Schools of WA, AISWA - Grant, 2004 ‑ 2005, $30,366.

Research Student Supervision