Case Study: Kaurna Plains School, South Australia
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.
Case Study: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Thursday Island, Queensland
With over 60% of its students identifying as First Nations and with English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D), Our Lady of the Sacred Heart joined MultiLit’s Closing the Gap Initiative in 2021. After implementing multiple MultiLitprograms students are showing significant progress.
Case Study: St Mary’s College, Seymour, Victoria
MultiLit conducted research into the efficacy of the Reading Tutor Program in its Literacy Centres by testing student outcomes in its Macquarie Park and Bella Vista locations. Children’s test results in word reading, spelling, phonological decoding, passage reading accuracy, comprehension, and fluency were compared over a 6-month period.
Case Study: RTP in MultiLit Literacy Centres
MultiLit conducted research into the efficacy of the Reading Tutor Program in its Literacy Centres by testing student outcomes in its Macquarie Park and Bella Vista locations. Children’s test results in word reading, spelling, phonological decoding, passage reading accuracy, comprehension, and fluency were compared over a 6-month period.
Case Study: Arethusa College, Queensland
Arethusa College is an accredited independent special assistance school. Before the introduction of MultiLit’s programs, 75% of their Year 10 students had been assessed as being two or more years below their expected literacy level. The school adopted MacqLit due to its comprehensive coverage as an intervention program and its ability to meet the needs of each individual student.
Case Study: North East Metropolitan Language Development Centre, Western Australia
After one year of using LanguageLift, teachers at North East Language Development Centre have noticed students’ confidence has increased, equipping them to understand and follow classroom rules.
Case Study: Belmay Primary School, Western Australia
A school improvement program prompted leadership to implement changes to improve student outcomes. This included introducing InitiaLit, followed soon after by MacqLit, MiniLit Sage and SpellEx. Since then, the school has built a reputation for high-quality education, ranking 6th in the state for year 3 spelling.
Spike in school refusal epidemic requires an evidence-based intervention
MultiLit supports calls for an evidence-based approach to supporting all students to thrive at school, amid concerning new data highlighting Australia’s growing attendance crisis.
Advancing Effective Education summit: Key takeaways and insights
In celebration of MultiLit’s 30th anniversary, the Advancing Effective Education summit, held over on 30-31 May, brought together leading educators, policy-makers and researchers to discuss effective instruction, current research and best practices in teaching.
Addressing Literacy Intervention Challenges: Insights from the ACPPA 2024 Member Survey
Recently the Australian Catholic Primary Principals Association (ACPPA) conducted a member survey, inviting MultiLit as a sponsor to contribute to the questionnaire. The 2024 Member Survey sheds light on the current state of literacy intervention in schools, highlighting both the successes and the challenges faced by educators.
Case Study: Grace Lutheran Primary School, Queensland
After a thorough six-month professional learning and research process, Grace Lutheran Primary decided to implement MultiLIt’s InitiaLit program beginning in the 2024 school year.
Schools report ongoing intervention resourcing challenges: survey
Understanding Australian primary schools’ ability to meet literacy needs amid high rates of low-progress readers.
Evaluating the research behind MultiLit programs
When considering adopting a new literacy program for your school, evaluating the research underpinning these programs is really important.
Teachers need evidence-based training
In Dr Mark Carter’s OpEd published in Education HQ on 5 June 2024, he discusses the need for schools and teachers to be equipped to meet their students’ challenges.
St Cuthbert’s committed to success with InitiaLit
Seven years ago, St Cuthbert’s Catholic School in Tasmania made a commitment to explicit, direct instruction and evidence-based practices to ensure all children had the same opportunities and successes. As part of this, they adopted InitiaLit for students in Prep to Grade 2, to develop the foundations for students to become successful readers and writers.
Case Study: St Columba’s Primary School, Western Australia
St Columba’s Catholic Primary School has reported a dramatic improvement in students’ literacy achievement since partnering with MultiLit seven years ago. Principal Allen McMahon discusses the impact of MultiLit’s programs and consistent high-quality instruction on student achievement.
Supporting schools to adapt to Queensland’s new reading approach
To help schools deliver on the Reading Commitment recently announced by the Queensland Department of Education, this article outlines how MultiLit programs are informed by the key principles and evidence encapsulated in the Science of Reading.
Case Study: Upwey South Primary School, Victoria
Principal Damien Kitch discusses the remarkable impact of implementing InitiaLit and MiniLit, within a Response to Intervention framework, on both teachers and students. The school placed among the top five for literacy achievement in its region in 2022 NAPLAN results.
Literacy Centres Testimonial:
Kate H. on holiday programs
Seeing the positive impact of MultiLit Literacy Centre programs on children’s confidence, skills and abilities is incredibly rewarding, but there’s nothing better than hearing about it from families themselves. This parent testimonial demonstrates the benefits of the holiday program option and provides insights into their family’s experience of MultiLit Literacy Centres. We thank Kate very much for being willing to share her thoughts and feedback publicly.
Case Study: Toowoomba Anglican School, Qld
Based on extensive research into how children learn to read, MultiLit has been supporting educators to provide effective literacy instruction for more than 30 years. This case study demonstrates how MultiLit programs are having a significant impact: both in building teachers’ knowledge and capacity and lifting student learning outcomes.
Meet our Team: Freya Purnell
COO and Publisher Freya Purnell on how MultiLit products come to life and what drives our culture of innovation and commitment to effective instruction.
Innovation in learning: The MultiLit Research Unit
The MultiLit Research Unit (MRU) is at the heart of the development of MultiLit products and resources, ensuring the best translation of research into practice.
Meet our Team: Chloe Allen
Chloe Allen is MultiLit’s Project Director for Closing the Gap which aims to improve literacy levels in students, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Early childhood literacy
Establishing solid foundations for literacy starts in early childhood. MultiLit’s Anna Taylor discusses the importance of fostering oral language and early literacy skills.
Meet our Team: Monica Wright
Monica Wright is MultiLit’s General Manager – Queensland; she has a lifelong passion for literacy advocacy.
Meet our Team: Georgie Wynne
MultiLit is excited to welcome Georgie Wynne to the team as General Manager Western Australia, as we expand localised support for WA schools.
Why choose InitiaLit?
InitiaLit is an evidence-based, whole-class literacy program by a leading provider of effective literacy instruction in Australasia, MultiLit.
Literacy support tools
MultiLit’s intervention strategies, literacy support tools and the Positive Teaching method are helping teachers achieve positive outcomes for students in both upper primary and high school years.
Meet Our Team: Katelin Jaegers
Katelin Jaegers is an illustrator and graphic designer who has worked for MultiLit for over five years.
Assessment tools for literacy
Assessment tools for literacy are critical in identifying issues and monitoring progress.
Meet the author | Peter Westwood | MRU Press
Long-time educator and author Peter Westwood’s latest book is ‘Developing Spelling Skills Across the Age Range’, out now from MRU Press.
Your partner in literacy
As your partner in literacy, MultiLit is here to ensure you have everything you need to effectively deliver our proven, evidence-based programs and achieve great results in your schools.
Meet our Team: John Warburton
John Warburton found a love of literacy education as a parent of a child encountering reading difficulties, and he hasn’t looked back since. Over 10 years with MultiLit, he’s worked as a tutor at our Macquarie Park Literacy Centre, trained hundreds of educators in MultiLit programs and supported schools to deliver best-practice literacy teaching.
Get set for success!
Before the school year begins, Sales Manager Emily Garlan, tells us how MultiLit’s programs, resources and PD can ready you for success in 2023.
Meet Our Team: Lauren Koch
Senior Product Developer Lauren Koch applies her background in speech pathology to her work at MultiLit on new intervention program LanguageLift.
Meet Our Team: Tessa Barnett
Speech pathologist Tessa Barnett brings extensive experience in literacy intervention to the MultiLit Research Unit (MRU) and product development team.
The link between oral language and literacy
Oral language skills are crucial for literacy, as well as for overall success and happiness in life. LanguageLift is MultiLit’s new oral language intervention program.
Delivering the curriculum
In light of the introduction of the new Australian Curriuculum, and state-specific changes such as the NSW Curriculum Reform, we know that teachers want to know how InitiaLit and other MultiLit programs align with the new curricula.
Meet our Team: Shelley McGorman
Shelley McGorman is a passionate educator dedicated to literacy. Armed with a love of reading and education sparked by her own school experience,
Meet our Team: Dr Anna Desjardins (Notley)
Dr Anna Desjardins (Notley) brings creativity, practical experience, a
long – standing interest in language, a strong academic background in research, and linguistic expertise to MultiLit.
Inside the new MultiLit Brisbane Centre
The MultiLit Brisbane Centre opens this month in Fortitude Valley, supporting our growing network of Queensland schools and students.
The positives of professional development
Providing opportunities for quality professional development for teachers can improve teacher wellbeing, job satisfaction and retention.
For students at every skill level
InitiaLit Extension helps teachers tailor InitiaLit instruction to students at every skill level, with opportunities to differentiate instruction for advanced students.
Meet our Team: Anna Taylor
Speech and Language Specialist Anna Taylor, based in MultiLit’s WA office, is the project lead on our forthcoming LanguageLift program. Learn more.
A brief history of MultiLit
MultiLit’s Iain Rothwell shares the key moments in the history of MultiLit’s journey as a leading provider of effective literacy instruction.
Meet our Team: Nicola Bell
Dr Nicola Bell has professional experience in literacy-specialised speech pathology intervention.
Meet our Team: Sharon Cheers
Sharon’s ambition is to defy disadvantage through the creation of shared value, integrating education expertise with strategy. Learn more about Sharon here.
System-wide success
MultiLit provides extensive training and ongoing literacy program support for leadership teams implementing evidence-based practice across school systems.
Step by step
Research-based, school-wide literacy programs offer support for children at every step of their reading journey. And are great for teachers too!
Meet our Team: Carina McSweeney
MultiLit’s Trainer and School Partnerships Officer Carina McSweeney has taught in public schools for 20 years, including 10 in learning and support. Learn more about Carina here.
Keep it Positive
Our Positive Teaching and Learning Initiative courses are designed to help educators create positive and beneficial learning environments. To provide you with an overview of Positive Teaching’s many benefits for both teachers and students, our behaviour specialists Jill Hellemans and Micaela Rafferty have shared their expert insights.
Meet our Team: Dr John Young
Education has always been in Dr John Young’s blood, with his father and uncle working as primary school principals.