MultiLit congratulates Queensland for its sustained commitment to implementing evidence-based literacy practices, including phonics screening for Year 1 students.
The Year 1 Phonics Check, which will be rolled out in Term 3, is part of the state’s bilateral agreement with the federal government.
It also follows the introduction of the Queensland Reading Commitment, which aims to enhance reading skills among students through a consistent, evidence-based approach to teaching reading.
MultiLit’s Managing Director, Iain Rothwell, said phonics checks can play a key role in supporting the implementation of evidence-based practice.
He pointed to the positive impact of phonics screening in South Australia, the first state to roll out the check in 2018.
“South Australia’s improved phonics outcomes, coupled with improvements in NAPLAN, are an excellent case study in what can be achieved as a result of a bipartisan-backed, system-wide improvement program across the education system,” Mr Rothwell said.
“The introduction of phonics checks in Queensland will support teachers to identify which students need additional support in learning to read.”
MultiLit is a leading researcher and developer of evidence-based literacy programs and supporting materials, such as decodable books, for schools.
Uptake of its whole-class InitiaLit program by Queensland schools increased by close to 15 per cent this year.
MultiLit’s Queensland General Manager, Monica Wright, said one of the early InitiaLit adopters, Toowoomba Anglican School, had seen a 14 per cent improvement in its Year 3 NAPLAN reading score over five years. The approach also led to a 75 per cent drop in the the number of students requiring reading intervention outside the classroom.
“InitiaLit aligns with the evidence in that it starts with teaching children the relationships between letters and sounds systematically and sequentially, so they can learn to decode words and go on to become proficient readers,” Ms Wright said.
“Schools like Toowoomba Anglican School and Burleigh Heads State School are doing a fantastic job providing explicit phonics instruction in the early years so all students can get off to a great start.
“Queensland’s introduction of phonics screening is another critical tool that teachers will have to monitor students’ progress and provide additional support if and when needed.”