The Adelaide Primer Part 2 was 'intended to teach the double sounds together with words frequently used by little children.' (Introduction)

Following on directly from the use of Adelaide FirstPrimer, it was still intended that this primer would be used in Grade 1 and was expected to be completed by the end of Grade 2. By 1957 Marjory Mead, Inspector of Schools with the South Australian Education Department, suggested that Primer Part 2 should be used in conjunction with Happy Venture reader, Books 3 and 4.

The Adelaide primers were introduced by the South Australian Education Department in the late 19th century and were used by generations of children across the state. They were revised many times.

The Primers used the phonics system of learning to read and The Happy Venture readers used the 'whole word' method: when this system was introduced into South Australian schools in 1957 Mead believed that the primers could still be used in conjunction with the whole word method, as they covered spelling very well.

Beyond these early primers or readers, the children's reading needs were extended with Fred Schonell's Wide range readers, with the Australian series by Enid Moodie Heddle, including Near and far and Now and then, and with the increasing availability of school libraries.

Gans, Roma, Fact and fiction about phonics. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill [1964]

Ewing, Robyn (ed.) Beyond the reading wars, Newtown, N.S.W.: Primary English Teaching Association, 2006

Mead, Marjory The teaching of reading in grades I and II [Adelaide]: Education Dept., [1957?]

Pressley, Michael Reading instruction that works: the case for balanced teaching New York: Guilford Press, c1998

Australian Government: National Inquiry into the teaching of literacy

BBC: Schools. Parents: How do children learn to read?

On Line Opinion: Does Australia have a child literacy problem?

University of South Australia: The HOPE Collection (History of primary education)

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. To be a child August 2004-