Effective reading intervention in a complex learning environment
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.
Arethusa College is an accredited independent special assistance school with eight campuses across south-east Queensland that is doing school differently. The College specialises in supporting young people in Years 7 to 12 who, due to a range of complex and intersecting factors, require additional support not available in a mainstream education setting.
Many have had significant periods of absence from the classroom, which has impacted their learning. About 75% of Year 10 students have been assessed as being two or more years below their expected literacy level, and it’s not unusual for students to arrive in Year 7 with primary level reading skills, and some unable to write their own names.
Arethusa College’s Principal of Inclusive Education, Stacey Power, said MultiLit’s MacqLit program ticked all the boxes for a comprehensive intervention program backed by evidence, and which covered essential components necessary for effective reading instruction – phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Importantly, it could be used to accommodate the complex and highly individual needs of the school’s young people.
A couple of years later, having also adopted the Reading Tutor Program, which can be delivered on a one-to-one basis, teachers are seeing immense improvements in students’ reading abilities.
“In 2023, 86% of Year 12 students met the standards – a testament to the determination of our incredible young people to succeed against all odds, supported by Arethusa’s equally dedicated teachers and staff,” the school’s Literacy Intervention Coordinator, Kylie Hitz said.
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