2020 Churchill Fellow, Jessica Colleu Terradas is continuing to make an impact by launching new online training modules aiming to help make sure no high school students are left behind with reading skills.
The launch marks a journey which began when she was a special education teacher at Como Secondary College in WA.
She noticed most reading programs were designed for younger children, and failing to meet the needs of teenagers, many of whom had been frustrated with literacy for years.
“Australia is facing a literacy crisis,” said Jessica.
“Almost one in three kids entering high school are lacking proficient reading skills. So in your average classroom, that’s eight out of 24 kids,” she said.
“Many high school teachers feel unprepared to tackle this issue,” she said.
She was awarded the 2020 Dorothy and Brian Wilson Churchill Fellowship to study effective language and literacy screening and intervention practices for at-risk students, travelling to Belgium, Canada, France, the UK and the USA. Link to the report
Upon her return, Jessica continued to disseminate her report’s findings with the launch of this hybrid professional learning package aimed to equip high school teachers with the tools to support struggling adolescent readers.
Up to 10 modules are being released until December, one every Friday, covering up to 3 hour-content.
Click here to access the modules.
The program aims to build teacher knowledge, capacity, and confidence, fostering a sustainable impact on student outcomes. By implementing a multi-tiered system of support model, schools can help students become proficient readers, addressing intergenerational issues of poor literacy, mental health, and employability.
Jess is also the co-founder of the Literacy Intervention in Secondary Schools (LISS) network, gathering like-minded educators willing to support older struggling readers in their school. They meet once a term, online. Click here to register.
