Rapid progress in reading is possible.
Failing readers can become competent readers.
Gains can be maintained.
In my second year of teaching in New Zealand I was told by my tutor teacher that there would always be some students who would fail. It was this comment that made me realise that I could not accept failure as inevitable.
This inspired me to apply for a scholarship to study the most effective techniques in special education. The year of study that followed proved to be one of the most rewarding times in my teaching career. Two of the most notable approaches I encountered were Direct Instruction and Precision Teaching (PDF).
After working for a year in a secondary school as a special needs teacher I helped establish a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) cluster based in that school, but serving nine schools. In this role a need quickly emerged for effective one-to-one programmes for students with specific needs; however, these programmes needed to be delivered by teacher aides (Learning Support Assistants) as the RTLB role involved working with the school rather than teaching individual students.
Direct Instruction proved to provide an excellent format as the emphasis on clearly scripted 'faultless communication' meant that teacher aides could deliver the programme exactly as intended. At the same time it was also apparent that students made rapid and lasting gains using this approach.
After four years as an RTLB I had the opportunity to set up a dedicated literacy and numeracy centre at a large suburban secondary school, with a team of dedicated teacher aides. Here I was able to refine and develop more programmes and to observe the impact on the students learning in other curriculum areas over three years. The results convinced me of the efficacy of both Direct Instruction and Precision Teaching. They also confirmed the need to develop further programmes focused on building students' comprehension skills in specific areas. I also began to use a phonological awareness programme (see link below) for some students with phonological processing difficulties.
After relocating to London I set up a literacy centre in an inner London secondary school. In addition to seeing previous results replicated and improved upon, I did further work training Learning Support Assistants in the use of Pause, Prompt, Praise strategies (see link below). All 'graduate' students were re-tested on a yearly basis to check that gains had been maintained; in many cases they had not only maintained the gains but had increased their reading levels since graduation.
In November 2010 I set up the literacy centre at Greig City Academy and, along with four part-time LSAs, we began teaching our first students in February 2011.