Read3 Newsletter (September 2024)
Greetings everyone. Is it just us, or did Term 3 whizz by?
In recent months we’ve been busy ‘behind the scenes’, including officially switching from a joint partnership to a company!
For the past five years, Robyn and I have dedicated our days (and nights and weekends) to building the Read3 program. During that time our tiny team has expanded with the part-time addition of Amanda (client liaison, admin and finance) and Helen (consulting speech pathologist).
In July 2024 our joint partnership transitioned to become Read3 Literacy Pty Ltd. We thank each and every one of you for the support you have shown us, and we invite you to share our mission:
Our Mission:
To provide the foundational skills needed to improve literacy,
self esteem and life opportunities for children with reading difficulties.
The impact of literacy extends well beyond the physical act of reading and spelling. While the process of becoming literate can be long and arduous for some, ensuring every child has a chance to pursue that goal will always be our priority.
We look forward to continuing our work for years to come.
Kate Andrew
Co-Founder, Read3 Literacy
Exactly how much phonemic awareness instruction is needed?
Insights from a recent meta-analysis
At a recent Read3 Journal Club for Speech Pathologists, attendees reviewed a 2024 meta-analysis on phonemic awareness.
The study sought to understand the association between the optimal cumulative dosage of PA instruction and its effectiveness.
Suffice to say, the findings support the integrated approach offered in Read3 which includes strengthening PA orally (HEAR activities) and also with letters (SEE activities) with activities being directly linked to the target sounds in each Step.
If you’re wanting to know more, check out our latest blog post.
New Read3 research project to commence
We are pleased to announce that Read3 and Pop Speech Therapy will soon be embarking on a joint research project. The aim is to investigate and evaluate the impact of intervention for children with literacy difficulties, delivered by Speech Pathologists over tele-practice. The research will be conducted over a period of 24 months. We thank the extended Pop family for their commitment to this project and look forward to sharing the findings in due course.
Considering intervention for 2025?
When it comes to building literacy skills, research confirms that early identification, and targeted intervention is THE BEST approach.
Our CHIP Screener is designed to help you identify children at risk, but the question then arises…. What should we be doing to support them adequately?
If targeted literacy intervention is ‘on the list’ for your school in 2025 we encourage you to reach out for an obligation-free proposal. Alternatively, you may prefer to book a call to chat through your current approach to intervention, and any challenges you may be having, so we can ascertain whether the Read3 Literacy Intervention is a good fit.
Like any new program, there is always a learning curve. However, the structured routine, detailed instructions and games-based approach offered through Read3 provides reassurance for teachers, aides and assistants who are implementing weekly sessions.
Here is some feedback, and a photograph, that we received recently from the aide at Knox Central Primary School in Victoria:
When I first began Read3, I felt overwhelmed as there is a lot to take in. However, once I practised the lesson plans it became second nature. The students love joining in on the sessions and they each have their favourite activities too.
After consistently running the program for terms one and two, I am now seeing the students really moving through the course. They always feel they can achieve what is set out for them and we thoroughly enjoy the time during our Read3 sessions.
I have attached a photo of the set up at our school and, yes it did take quite some time but it’s all organised and it’s smooth sailing!
I want to thank you for putting together such an amazing program that allows the student to be the leader in their learning. I have nothing but praise for the program and for you.
When you choose Read3 for your school you become part of our community. We value your commitment and will work with you to implement your new intervention. We provide regular check-ins, monthly live Q&As and a professional-only Facebook Group to ensure all your questions can be answered in a timely manner.
We do hope you’ll join us in 2025.
Read3 game demos added to the website
Watching others in action is always a great way to learn which is why we are looking to build out a bank of video recordings of Read3 games in action. As you would appreciate this is a HUGE task and definitely a work in progress!
As game demos become available we will add a 🖥️ icon at the end of the activity title under each step. Click the title for the PDF file and click the 🖥️ for the demo.
For those accessing the Aides & Assistants view, game demos can be accessed by clicking the activity title.
If there are particular games you would like us to prioritise recording, please reach out.
Read3 Certificates now available!
At Read3 we love hearing success stories. To help celebrate the success of your students we are pleased to announce that Certificates of Completion are now available. Choose from:
- Module 1
- Module 2
- Module 3
- Full Program Completion (2 designs)
Read3 Professionals can access these via the Onboarding > Your Students menu.
If you are a parent or carer completing Read3 independently with your child, please reach out if you require a Module Certificate and we will email one through.
The role of CHIPS versus FISH
Which should I choose and when?
We are often asked for clarification about how to use the results obtained from our CHIP Screener to determine a starting point for intervention. And the short answer is, you don’t. Well, not directly
CHIPS (Check How I Process Screener) screens for reading risk and helps you identify the type of intervention needed - it is not a skills assessment tool.
Based on the nature and severity of the processing weaknesses identified with CHIPS you can determine whether a child needs a Tier 2 intervention (i.e. more practice using the classroom phonics program), something more intensive (i.e. targeted intervention using Read3 or similar), or whether they need to be monitored closely at Tier 2 with a view to increasing intensity if needed.
What CHIPS doesn’t specifically tell you is what point in the phonic code the intervention should commence. You’ll need to do a little more investigation to work that out. Careful review of errors in the CHIPS reading and spelling tasks will help narrow things down, but here’s another suggestion:
-
For younger students, starting intervention at the beginning of the phonic code is usually the best choice. That way you can ensure Phonological Awareness (PA) and Letter-Sound Knowledge (LSK) skills are well established as you progress with reading and spelling instruction.
- For older students it’s a little more complex as every child will have different strengths and weaknesses. The FISH Screener was created to assist you with decision making for older students.
FISH stands for Fluency Indicators in a Story Hierarchy. FISH offers a unique series of short, decodable passages that are designed to help identify where reading fluency breaks down. As the stories build in complexity, from beginner CVC to full code, you can quickly pin-point an appropriate point of entry for intervention.
Early stories in FISH can also be used to check fluency rates in younger readers. This can be a useful ‘diagnostic’ tool for children who may have reasonable PA and LSK skills on a CHIP Screener (thanks to all the great phonics instruction now happening in our classrooms) but continue to decode sound-by-sound and/or are unable to spell simple words.
If you’d like a little more detail, our recent blog post outlines the role of fluency, where FISH fits in, and how to score student results.
Training Block #4 for Speech Pathologists starts 11 October!
Our next training block for Speech Pathologists will be held on Friday 11 October, 18 October, 1 November and 8 November.
Sessions run from 1:00-2:30pm AEDT (12:00-1:30pm AEST).
Participants will have access to Module 1 Step 1 of the Read3 program throughout the training block so they can practise what they learn.
Self-paced Staff Training for Schools
We recognise schools are busy places which is why our self-paced format enables staff to get started the the Read3 program following a few initial hours of training.
Then, once staff have some experience using the program, they can continue learning about progress monitoring and how to make further adjustments to meet individual student needs.
Read3 intervention is ‘individualised’ but it does not have to be one-on-one. Our games-based approach lends itself well to a small group setting. You’ll learn more about how to run Read3 in groups during staff training.
If you're thinking about getting started with Read3, need a refresher, or have new staff who have joined your team, please reach out for a training and/or licence proposal.
Want to know more about Read3? Just Ask!
If you are not yet using Read3 or the Easy Alphabet, but are keen to know more, reach out via support@read3.com.au or book a phone call at a time that suits you. We're always happy to help.
Cheers for now,
Kate & Robyn
PS. If this newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend or colleague, and you wish to join our mailing list CLICK HERE - we promise to keep emails to a minimum!