40% of 15-year old Australians cannot read at a proficient level (PISA, 2018) and a large gap develops between Year 3 and Year 9, as students are expected to increasingly shift beyond 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn''. Immediate action needs to be taken to address the alarming and persisting trend of students falling behind in reading in Australia. My Churchill project consists of an investigation of the best international practices aimed at making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children through education. Trained as a secondary special education teacher, I used to work with at-risk students, some of whom are clients of the juvenile justice system and my literacy program was their last chance. No child should leave primary school unable to read. High quality instruction and effective targeted intensive intervention can disrupt the pipeline from social disadvantage to prison and reduce the reading gaps. This project identified research effective screening and intervention practices for dissemination to teachers in primary and secondary schools, and those in teacher training, and parents too, so that all readers reach their full potential.
Fellow
