This is a unique and exciting opportunity to join leading researcher in child language, Associate Professor Marleen Westerveld, for a workshop focused on oral narrative assessment and teaching in the early primary school years.

About Associate Professor Westerveld:

Associate Professor Marleen Westerveld has been a practising speech pathologist for more than 30 years and has extensive experience in working with children and adolescents with speech, language, and reading difficulties. Her research focuses on children’s spoken and written language skills needed to participate in daily activities at home, at school, and in the community. She currently chairs the Global TALES Network, an international consortium of 45 child language researchers whose vision is to develop and evaluate a culturally and linguistically valid personal narrative assessment tool.
Marleen’s research has resulted in more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, 7 book chapters, and one book. Marleen is currently an Associate Professor in the Master of Speech Pathology program at Griffith University, the Chair of the Child Language Committee of the International Association for Communication Sciences and Disorders, and an Executive Committee Member of the International Association for the Study of Child Language.

Marleen is a visiting Erskine Fellow to the Child Well-being Research Institute at the University of Canterbury and expert consultant to the Better Start Literacy Approach in the area of oral narrative assessment and teaching.

About the workshop:

The workshop will draw on recent research to provide an overview of oral narrative development in young children and evidence-based approaches to assessment and instructional principles for oral narrative teaching within a Multitiered Systems of Support framework. The workshop will provide attendees with hands-on practice in analysing and interpreting oral narratives at the microstructure and macrostructure levels to inform theoretically-motivated and evidence-based teaching for oral narrative skills in the early years classrooms.

Morning tea will be provided. Please advise of any dietary requirements.