Meet the Team
Our vision is in our name!
We want to help to ‘Get Reading Right’ with more children, quicker and more effectively than before. Our experience, over many years, tells us that the teaching of early reading using synthetic phonics makes a huge contribution to reading success.
We know that with the right synthetic phonics resources and ongoing assessments, it is possible to make zero reading failure a reality even for a busy classroom teacher. This is why we have develop The Synthetic Phonics Toolkit - it includes everything a teacher needs to get going with synthetic phonics - right away. Plus, our decodable readers means learning can be reinforced during guided reading or at home with mum and dad.
We realise that zero reading failure might feel like a lofty vision, and is not an easy task ,but with the help of Get Reading Right Toolkit and decodable books we have seen it achieved - time and time again.
The people behind Get Reading Right
Jo-Anne Dooner - Director
I am currently a literacy coordinator in a large school and have been teaching for 20 years. Teaching reading has been a passion of mine since I taught my first lesson in a socially disadvantaged area in suburban Sydney. I have taught English in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and Hong Kong. I spent 4 years as an English consultant supporting and encouraging teachers to teach reading better using synthetic phonics.
While I am a true believer in the power of shared and guided reading, I’ve seen through my own teaching, doing my own action research and professional reading that we must teach early reading using synthetic phonics. I can tell you that I was skeptical at first, probably like most teachers, but when you actually see whole classes with zero failure, you become pretty much ‘born again’. I hope you like our website, our new Toolkit and our decodable books. If you would like to speak to me or ask a question, please drop me a line on jdooner@getreadingright.com
Michael Wood - Director
 I have been around even longer than Jo-Anne, having been an educational psychologist for thirty years! I am British and have worked mainly in the UK but over the past fourteen years in Hong Kong International schools. Along the way I have also worked in Brunei, China, Sweden and Dubai so in my time, I have seen my share of children with reading difficulties in a second language. Struggling to learn a second language myself (Italian) has shown me what a phonetically challenging language English can be.At the last count English needed over 1,000 letter combinations to make the 44 phonemes so it is no surprise that we have twice the rate of reading difficulties that are found in Italy.
Here in Hong Kong, where the majority of children are second language learners, I see synthetic phonics classes with no children failing to keep up with the group.
Like Jo-Anne, I have been changed by what I see from the children and the enthusiasm from teachers. But good decoding skills are just the start; it is up to teachers and parents to provide the spark that can mean a lifetime’s love of literature; like a strong pair of shoes they are an important start but cannot guarantee a love of hiking! It is up to teachers to give the spark that can mean a lifetime’s love of books…
If you have any comments or questions feel free to contact me at mwood@getreadingright.com
Rachel Tabram - Consultant
Co-author of The Synthetic Phonics Toolkit.
I began my nine years of teaching in the UK and am now teaching in an international school in Hong Kong. I have taught in both  Key Stages but my real love is the early years. My involvement with Get Reading Right began over 2 years ago when Jo-Anne and I were working in the same school. Much of my expertise in synthetic phonics comes from my day to day classroom practise both as a class teacher and as a Special Needs Co-ordinator. I have also undertaken research to measure the impact that a structured Synthetic Phonics programme can have on children’s learning as well as providing INSET (training) to other teachers.
I am constantly amazed at the difference that quality synthetic phonics teaching can make to the lives of children. I have seen children make astonishing progress and grow in both skills and confidence on a daily basis. The best bit has to be teaching something that actually works and that the children love. In fact my enthusiasm for synthetic phonics has earned me the title of ‘Word Lady’ among many of the kids at our school!
Anne Ross - Consultant
I am a NZ trained teacher with over 30 years experience teaching children between 4 and 13 years. For 12 years I taught at international schools in Hong Kong where, besides being a class teacher, I was the English Coordinator for many years. A move to Shanghai over two years ago resulted in further study and consequently, as a Phono-Grahix Reading Therapist, I am qualified in the theory and practice of synthetic phonics.
During the past two years I worked part time at an international school in Shanghai as an EAL teacher to students of a range of nationalities. I used The Synthetic Phonics Toolkit to teach these children to decode and encode English. The results were impressive. These children rapidly learned to read, spell and pronounce English accurately and at the same time their vocabulary was enhanced through the programme. Consequently, it was not very long before they could participate in the guided reading sessions where reading for meaning is developed.
I am currently training right across Asia; setting up schools with the Synthetic Phonics Toolkit.
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