Closing the literacy gap with an overhaul of practice
The vast majority of the students enrolled at Kaurna Plains School identify as Aboriginal. After joining MultiLit’s Closing the Gap Initiative in 2021, the school has implemented a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework made up of InitiaLit and various MultiLit small group intervention programs. This has transformed literacy education for students and teachers at the school.
With an enrolment of approximately 160 students from Reception to Year 12, of which 98% identify as Aboriginal, Kaurna Plains School is committed to building strong connections with families, Elders and the wider community. Teachers and support staff are trauma-informed and provide tailored support to meet the needs of students.
“We work hard to create a culturally safe environment for students, with Kaurna language programs embedded across classes, and have a strong literacy intervention team with a focus on speech and language development to support students’ broader English literacy skills,” says Leayshia Gaston, the school’s Deputy Principal.
In 2020, Kaurna Plains School undertook a significant overhaul of its literacy practices, which involved a shift back to systematic synthetic phonics for early reading instruction.
Joining the Closing the Gap Initiative has transformed literacy teaching and learning at Kaurna Plains School.
In addition to the structured literacy approach provided by MultiLit programs, closer tracking of students’ progress means educators identify gaps earlier and target interventions to address them.
On top of this, whilst maintaining program fidelity, teachers can adapt intervention and their literacy education plan to specific students’ needs. This means that they can support students facing circumstances that would typically interfere with their learning.
Ms Gaston said collaboration with MultiLit had been a key factor in the program’s success.
“We’ve learned so much over the past three years, and this has not only strengthened our approach to teaching literacy but has reaffirmed our commitment to being responsive, collaborative and innovative in our efforts to close the education gap for our students,” she said.
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