Rosemary Ruthven is a Reading Specialist (USA), an Associate Member of the Australian Dyslexia Association (AMADA), Dyslexia Screener, Irlen Screener, Course Designer and Senior Trainer. Rosemary lives and works on the Central Coast of NSW, where she runs a private practice, assessing and tutoring students with reading difficulties/dyslexia.  In creating the Structured Literacy ABC courses, together with the free PDF of the programs that accompany them, Rosemary’s heartfelt desire is to make it easier to provide research-based literacy instruction for all students - beginning in early childhood onwards, and to provide appropriate intervention for students with reading difficulties/dyslexia. Rosemary has been using and refining her programs in her own professional practice over the last three decades and wants to share her Intellectual property with people earnestly seeking to further develop the reading, writing and spelling skills of their students.

 

Rosemary did her undergraduate studies (B.A. Dip. Ed.) at Macquarie University, Sydney and from 1980 taught in Public and Catholic primary schools both in Sydney and regional NSW. During that time, Rosemary received additional training to work with students speaking English as an additional language (then known as ESL). In 1985 Rosemary moved to Southern California and taught in the Bilingual Unified School Districts of Paramount and Santa Ana. Rosemary did further studies to become an accredited bilingual language development specialist and completed her Masters (M.Sc. Reading Specialist) at California State University, Fullerton in 1998.

 

Rosemary was then invited to become a Literacy Curriculum Specialist for the Santa Ana School District (60,00 students). Her role included writing curriculum, creating Summer School literacy intervention courses for Year 1 students, formulating district assessments, exams and marking criteria, as well as providing ongoing professional development for teachers. Rosemary taught the Reading and Literacy Learning in the 21st Century (500 and 500B) courses at Chapman University and provided preparatory training for teachers wishing to take the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA). Rosemary authored and co-authored a series of books for teachers called The Write to Know Series (Advanced Learning Press). 

 

Rosemary returned to Australia in 2003, did casual teaching in NSW public and Catholic schools, and facilitated Tutorials for the EDST2200 K-5 course for Primary Education teachers at Newcastle University (Ourimbah Campus). Rosemary also supervised practicum teachers from Sydney University and Newcastle University. Rosemary volunteered to become part of the START READING initiative at the Beachside Family Centre (SaCCs) in Umina and created the Fun with Sounds program for pre-schoolers to develop early childhood phonological skills. Later, Rosemary was contracted by Active Learning Centre International to write curriculum, design courses and train teachers in Singapore and Australia.

 

Rosemary served as Vice President of the Central Coast Dyslexia Association during which time she provided free training for teachers on the Central Coast. Rosemary continues to present at conferences and provides free seminars for parents and the community.