Reading, the future
During 2018, a new collaboration between the Macquarie University Reading Clinic and the NSW Department of Education Networked Specialist Centres will assess the benefits of new links between schools and school-external organisations working with children with reading and spelling difficulties and their teachers.
Children with poor reading are typically catered for by their school. However, involvement with school-external, evidence-based organisations can sometimes provide more individually tailored and intensive interventions. Whilst many students already access these services, a strong and sustained working relationship between these parties has the potential to further increase benefits for students and their teachers.
Assessing
The collaboration between Macquarie University’s Reading Clinic and the NSW Department of Education Networked Specialist Centres will assess whether evidence-based and individually tailored interventions delivered by the Macquarie University Reading Clinic can improve reading and spelling for children with difficulties.
In addition, the study will assess whether links with school-external organisations improve schools’ abilities to cater for all children – including sustainable improvements for in-school assessment and the evaluation of children’s reading skills.
Participating
Schools and children participating in the 2018 study will be selected by the NSW Department of Education Networked Specialist Centre at Macquarie University. Their relationship with Macquarie University’s Reading Clinic will also give schools and teachers involved in this study a point of contact which provides supportive conversations on difficult-to-teach children.
Children in the study will receive direct learning benefits through participation in a detailed assessment and an individually-tailored intervention program. Additionally, the project has the potential to benefit parents/carers given the important role that reading plays in children’s academic life and potentially their emotional wellbeing.
Macquarie University Reading Clinic offers ongoing professional development for teachers and other professionals working and supporting children with reading and spelling difficulties. The Clinic also provides research-based assessments and interventions for people of all ages with reading and spelling difficulties.