In an ideal world, we envision every student leaving school armed with the literacy and numeracy skills necessary to build a purposeful future. Sadly, this vision remains tricky for many students.
Recent findings from the Australian Education Research Organisation show that the process of falling behind for struggling students begins in the early stages of their educational journey. A concerning number of students fail to align with learning benchmarks as early as Year 3, lingering below or hovering around the national minimum standards, with no real prospects of improvement in sight.
The 2023 NAPLAN results underscore this concern, revealing that nearly 10% of students require extra assistance to meet basic literacy and numeracy standards. This represents an increase compared to the previous report, which highlighted around 7% of students falling short of the minimum benchmarks. Particularly, these figures are even more pronounced for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in remote areas of Australia’s Northern Territory.
This change in statistics is, in part, a result of Education Ministers’ decision to elevate NAPLAN minimum standards this year, setting higher expectations for student performance. According to Jason Clare, Minister for Education, this adjustment has been vital in better identifying students who could benefit from additional support.
The Opportunity for Early Intervention
While the statistics may paint a discouraging picture, they also present us with an opportunity for intervention and evaluation of student progress before they slip further behind. Armed with the right strategy, personalised learning paths, and necessary adjustments, we will, in fact, make a difference for struggling students, helping them get back on track.
The pivotal point of action begins with pinpointing where each student’s literacy skills stand. LiteracyPlanet’s free Literacy Check is an assessment tool that can be seamlessly conducted as part of a simple 30-minute lesson. While Literacy Check reports on student proficiency across five key literacy strands, the best part is that they remain blissfully unaware of being tested. In fact, they’ll enjoy playing the gamified activities that assess their proficiency Upon completion, LiteracyPlanet offers a plethora of activities, learning materials, and resources tailored to each student’s personal requirements.
Start your first Literacy Check now!
Differentiation for Optimal Impact
By identifying areas requiring attention, intervention, or extension, we present actionable and comprehensible data that outlines the content best suited for guiding each student along their literacy journey. Tailored lessons form the backbone of effective learning, catering to struggling students at various stages of their development – from mastering foundational sounds and constructing simple sentences, to delving into more intricate concepts. LiteracyPlanet serves as the stepping stone that meets students at their unique points of learning from Kindergarten up to Year 10.
Fostering Your Student’s Enthusiasm
Understanding student needs is one thing; keeping them engaged and motivated, so that they want to come back for more is another. Children love to be challenged! That’s why LiteracyPlanet harnesses the power of immersive storytelling and gamification, ensuring students remain motivated while soaking up knowledge. Fuelling a natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge with stimulating educational content, while wrapping this in a gamified user experience, is a powerful resource that cuts through other learning distractions. Fun becomes the driving force behind learning, as engagement naturally stems from enjoyment.
The Potential of Small-Group Tutoring for Struggling Students
Research underscores the power of small-group tutoring in supporting students who are falling behind. At LiteracyPlanet, we align with this proven method by fostering an environment similar to small-group tutoring. Using our platform, educators can effortlessly create and manage groups, strategically scheduling content to nurture knowledge and skills across customisable time frames.
Collaboration blooms as students work together on shared tasks, discuss intricate concepts in a close-knit setting, and cultivate a cooperative learning ecosystem that encourages mutual learning.
Our comprehensive resources, ranging from cards, posters, and books to levelled texts and discussion activities, become invaluable assets in shaping this interactive learning landscape.
Helping Them Soar
The journey towards equipping students with vital literacy skills is marked by proactive identification, personalised learning, and unwavering engagement. Through dynamic content creation, and small-group tutoring-inspired collaboration, we step forward to change the trajectory for students who face the risk of falling behind.
