The NSW Department of Education has recognised the need for involving and linking with clinics and private practitioners – that is, school-external, evidence-based organisations.

External organisations and providers can offer more intensive and individually tailored interventions than those possible within schools. Whilst many students currently access such services, what can be lacking is a strong and sustained working relationship between the parties.

The Macquarie University Reading Clinic provides research-based assessments and intervention for people with reading and spelling difficulties as well as professional development for teachers and clinicians supporting those with poor reading and spelling.

The newly announced collaboration for 2018 will assess whether evidence-based and individually tailored interventions provided by Macquarie’s Reading Clinic can help improve reading and spelling skills in children referred by a NSW Department of Education Networked Specialist Centre. Collaborations between school staff and the Reading Clinic will also be assessed to see if they lead to sustainable improvements for the in-school assessment and evaluation of children’s reading skills.

Directly benefiting students participating in the study, the project will also benefit their parents and carers due to the importance of reading not only for children’s academic success but potentially the student’s emotional wellbeing. In addition, schools and teachers may benefit from a relationship with the Reading Clinic as a place to which they can refer for supportive conversations about difficult-to-teach children.

The Department of Education will assess how these tighter relationships with out-of-school organisations can improve schools’ abilities to cater for all children thereby benefiting future public school students.

Participating schools will be selected by the NSW Department of Education Networked Specialist Centre at Macquarie University. Please visit the Reading Clinic for information on assessment and treatment of students and for ongoing professional development for teachers and other professionals working with children with reading and spelling difficulties.