9 Mountview Crescent

URUNGA 2455

20^th December 2002

(02) 6655 5477

To Whom It May Concern

My name is Brian McKinnon. I am a former public School Principal and specialist Reading Teacher who is employed by the Department of Education and Training as a Support Teacher of Learning Difficulties. My passion is teaching children how to read better. I have been doing it for many years, both in the school situation and privately.

Some time ago, I was given the opportunity to trial the Need4Reading programme developed by Howard and Ursula Bruce. I am very impressed. It is different. It is new. Students who have been working with it have been able to learn and consolidate their literacy skills in a way that I haven’t seen before in a sequenced approach that not only gives the necessary sounds of our language but the actual lip and mouth movements that make them. This is very important and works easily with students of any age including "illiterate" adults. I believe that this programme could do a great deal to lift the standard of reading for those who need it and that many more students could improve their self esteem, as many of our students are doing. This is education. Need4Reading is not a game but will give the foundation and practice required to tread the path of excellence and I would like to think that this opportunity could exist for every needy student in Australia. Imagine what impact that could have on society! Reading well is the key and even moreso in this technological age.

I wish the Bruces every success in getting this to families.

Yours faithfully,

Brian T. McKinnon