Oral Language Foundations to Keep Students on Track
The Tracks to Literacy Way
Tracks to Literacy was established by teacher and principal, Rosemary Simpson, and speech pathologist, Laura Glisson, to provide support for teachers, speech pathologists, parents and school leaders to improve the oral language skills, and subsequent academic and social outcomes for the students in their classrooms and schools. To achieve this goal, we work strategically with school Principals to build the capacity of staff and parents in their school community.
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With over 50 years of combined experience, Laura and Rosemary strive to provide evidence-aligned resources, planning support and professional learning for immediate implementation in the classroom, home or clinic.
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Our Vision
That all primary and secondary students will have the oral language skills they need to achieve social and academic success, reach their full potential and contribute to society.
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Our Mission
To inspire and empower educators to deliver high quality evidence-based oral language, reading and writing instruction in their schools.
Meet the Team
As Co-Founders and Co-Directors of Tracks to Literacy, Rosemary and Laura have worked together for more than 12 years to support schools to implement evidence-based, robust and effective approaches to oral language and literacy instruction. Starting their journey together back in 2010 within the WA Education Department, Laura and Rosemary have seen first hand the positive impact that effective collaboration between educators, parents and speech pathologists can have on the outcomes of all students, especially our most vulnerable.
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With a passion for effective collaboration between speech pathology and teachers, a goal to see the translation of research into every classroom, and over 50 years combined experience working in schools, Rosemary and Laura are the perfect team to support you and your school community.
Rosemary Simpson - Co-Founder and Co-Director
B.Ed, Grad.Dip.Special Ed, M.Ed (Oral Narrative).
For over 25 years, Rosemary was the Principal of the North East Language Development Centre, a public school in Western Australia that caters for students with Developmental Language Disorders. Rosemary was also responsible for establishing an Outreach Team that provided support to ~160 mainstream schools by building capacity of staff to teach oral language and literacy skills.
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Rosemary has worked within the international team of SCSA, providing support to teachers in Vietnam for the teaching of oral language. She is currently a member of the SCSA Curriculum and Assessment Committee, which advises the SCSA board on curriculum and assessment related matters across all years of school from K-12.
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Rosemary is a Life Member of the Western Australian Primary Principals’ Association, and remains the longest serving Board Member, and has previously filled the role of Vice President. She is recognised for her contribution to women in leadership. In her role as an Expert for Fogarty EdVance, Rosemary has worked with many schools, both public and independent, in Western Australia to achieve strategic change in delivery of oral language instruction.
Rosemary's goal is to inspire and empower educators to deliver high quality oral language instruction so that all children have the language skills needed for education. To achieve this goal, Rosemary works strategically with Principals to build on the capacity of teachers in their schools.
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Rosemary can be contacted on the below.
Mobile: 0427 476 630
Laura Glisson - Co-Founder and Co-Director
B.Sc (Human Communication Science), M.Phil (Human Communication Science).
Laura is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (Speech Pathology Australia), with over 13 years experience working with school-aged children and young people with language, literacy and social-emotional difficulties. Laura's research focus is in oral and written narrative assessment, instruction, and intervention, and all things Developmental Language Disorder.
Prior to starting Tracks to Literacy, Laura worked at the North East Language Development Centre for 8 years, across a number of roles including Speech and Language Specialist, and Outreach Coordinator. In these roles she provided professional learning to LDC staff and ~160 mainstream schools in the North Metro, Wheatbelt and Kimberly education regions, by building capacity of staff to teach oral language and literacy skills effectively. Laura was also responsible for supporting the review and development of whole-school language and literacy programmes, both at the LDC and in mainstream schools.
From 2018-2021, Laura worked at Moor House School & College in Surrey, England, where she worked collaboratively with teachers, education assistant, occupational therapists and residential care workers to deliver effective intervention for secondary-aged students with Developmental Language Disorder across all 3 tiers of intervention. Laura also led a large team of Speech and Language Therapists working in Years 3-9, provided training to staff, and was responsible for a review of the Life Skills and SLT language group provision for KS2-3.
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In addition to her work with Tracks to Literacy, Laura works clinically at Fremantle Speech Pathology Services, and as a Language and Literacy Specialist at Teach Well. Laura is also an active member of the Language and Literacy in Young People Research Lab at Curtin University and a council member for Learning Difficulties Australia.
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As the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Tracks to Literacy, Laura's mission is to support the translation of research evidence into clinical and educational practices, so that all children can have the language and literacy skills needed to become successful and happy members of society.
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Laura can be contacted on the below.
Mobile: 0497 547 407
Email: laura@trackstoliteracy.com
Ingrid Sealy - High Impact Instruction Advisor
Ingrid is Founder and Director of Teach Well. Prior to founding Teach Well, Ingrid was recognised as a 40Under40 Winner (Business News) for her work over 5 years developing and leading Fogarty EDvance – a 3-year support program for leaders of schools in disadvantaged communities. The EDvance School Improvement Program now works with 80+ schools across Western Australia (government and non-government, from K-12) and is addressing educational inequity at system level by supporting leaders to significantly improve educational outcomes for their students.
Dr Sandy Heldsinger - Assessment Advisor
Sandy is leading the development of the Brightpath assessment and reporting software in schools. Sandy co-ordinated the WA system-level assessments, has taught masters level course in educational assessment for a number of years and has led the development of a wide range of resources, including reporting software, to support schools in using assessment to improve student performance. Sandy recently developed the central components of the Western Australian Curriculum Outline for WA’s School Curriculum and Standards Authority and she co-authored What teachers need to know about assessment and reporting which was published by the Australian Council for Educational Research. In 2016 the Western Australia Primary Principal Association Award presented acknowledged Sandy's valued contribution to education and WAPPA. In 2018 Sandy was acknowledged as WA's pre-eminent educational leader by the Australian Council for Education Leaders.