The Adelaide Primers were prepared for South Australian schools in the late 19th century replacing the Royal Readers which had been used for many years. They introduced the phonics system, a new style of learning to read. The Primers were used by several generations of children, being gradually upgraded over the years. By 1957 there was no longer total reliance on this system and the Primers were to be used in conjunction with the Happy Venture readers which introduced the characters Dick and Dora and their pets Nip and Fluff.

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

Chall, Jeanne S. Learning to read: the great debate; an inquiry into the science, art, and ideology of old and new methods of teaching children to read, 1910-1965 New York: McGraw-Hill [1967]

Fox, Mem. Reading magic: how your child can learn to read before school and other read-aloud miracles, Sydney: Pan Macmillan, 2001

Games, games, games: reading, word recognition and listening activities, [compiled by staff of the Reading Development Centre], Education Department of South Australia [3rd.] rev. ed. Adelaide: Education Dept. of South Australia, 1978

McGuinness, Diane. Growing a reader from birth: your child's path from language to literacy, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004

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-