In Australia, the debate surrounding literacy has been similar to that around the world. In 1991 the Australian government called for greater proficiency in English literacy for all Australians (DEET, 1991). However, the amount of funding allocated to early literacy was relatively small (de Lemos and Harvey-Beavis, 1995). In 1993, The Literacy Challenge, a report from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment (1993), recognised and emphasised again the importance of early literacy intervention.