Literate Learners for Life - 2023 Update

Literate Learners for Life, is an initiative that was launched at the beginning of 2022 by Catholic Education Tasmania in 32 different Catholic schools around the state. The initiative was developed to help foster the growth of essential literacy skills for every student throughout Tasmania. Literacy is an integral part of education and is key to creating greater literacy outcomes and expanding their opportunities as they progress through life. 

Lisa Fenning, Literacy Project Lead Advisor for Catholic Education Tasmania, discussed how the initiative has improved outcomes for Catholic education students. “Literate Learners for Life has made a major improvement to the way we teach literacy in the early years and approach reading intervention.” Mrs Fenning said, “We use a consistent program for Prep - Year 2 and have a consistent approach to literacy across all year levels.” The initiative’s approach is based upon the Science of Learning and Science of Reading, which follows the way our brain functions, and how it retains and recalls information. These tools are powerful for teaching young people how to read and write and give educators impactful instructional methods to help students learn effectively.

In the first year of Literate Learners for Life, 32 primary schools, 297 teachers and staff, 4,000 students in CET schools across Tasmania participated in this worthwhile literacy initiative. Through Literate Learners, there are Literacy Practice Leaders employed in every Catholic school, who participate in Professional Learning and collaborative meetings twice a term to help enhance the literacy teaching of their students. Schools have also reported that there has been an increase in their students’ ability to decode and understand language, and they have noticed an increase in positive behaviour during lessons. 

Executive Director: Catholic Education Tasmania, Gerard Gaskin, discussed the importance of literacy within CET schools. “We, in Catholic Education Tasmania, understand our responsibility to ensure that every young person in our system flourishes and reaches their full human potential. We are encouraged by the results of our first year of Literate Learners for Life and are eager to expand the project to impact every student, in every subject and every year level.” 

Dr Gaskin applauded educators within the Catholic education system for their willingness to buy into such an important aspect of teaching. “We commend our schools and teachers for their ongoing commitment to their students' achievement in reading through professional development and improved instructional strategies.” Without the educators driving the initiative, there would be very little reason to continue with implementing instructional literacy teaching system-wide.

One of the important factors of this initiative are the successes that are taking place every day in the classroom. The teachers, school leaders and Literacy Practice Leaders who are directly involved in Literate Learners for Life have discussed a variety of different positive outcomes that have ensued from the project as it continues to influence our students. Internal feedback sessions with Literacy Practice Leaders indicate that educators are happy with the system-wide consistency in the initiative’s approach to literacy and the programs that supplement their teaching. They have a better understanding of how their students are progressing due to regular and refined data that is available through the InitiaLit teaching program. InitiaLit programs also offer a variety of resources and training tools that can help CET educators engage with their students in a fun and engaging way. At a school level, teachers have also noticed more collaboration throughout the year levels, and have seen further willingness to work in partnership with other educators to help serve the literacy needs of the students in their classrooms.

As 2023 progresses and Literate Learners for Life continues to positively impact young people in Catholic schools. The initiative looks to focus on three key areas to help enhance the literacy skills within Tasmanian Catholic school students, through the Writing Revolution, Spelling Mastery, and DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). Lisa Fenning explained their importance, “In 2023, CET is heavily supporting literacy by introducing a consistent spelling program in Year 3 – 6, employing a new reading assessment suite up to Year 8, and developing a consistent writing approach for all Year levels from Prep – Year 12.” Lisa said, “We know that quality writing instruction supports reading, spelling, and grammar, and will certainly lead to greater literacy outcomes for all of our students.”

Literate Learners for Life

Every Student. Every Subject. Every Year.