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Supporting Foundation Reading Skills, Confidence and Enjoyment

Reading for Life® was created and developed by Learning Links in 2003. The program was designed by a psychologist, teacher and speech pathologist to provide support for children who struggle to read. It has been enormously successful over the past 20 years with children making valuable gains in reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension.

Also, and most importantly, the confidence and enjoyment of reading in participating children has increased, influencing their self-esteem and motivation to learn.

Long-term and Measurable Impacts

Reading for Life targets children in Years 2-4 who are having difficulties or falling behind in their literacy development. Addressing learning and literacy at an early age will have a long-term impact on a child and is important if we want children to have the best chance of success.

The benefits of the program are sustainable for each participating child – once they develop their literacy skills, it affects the outcomes of all their subjects at school. As children move into high school, the ability to read is essential, as without it they will struggle to move ahead academically.

Through Reading for Life we aim to empower children to build and maintain the literacy skills, motivation and confidence they need to reach their potential and succeed at school.

Teacher sits next to student with tongue poking out while concentrating on writing task

About the Program

  • Children who are struggling with literacy benefit most from the program are identified by the participating school and teachers.
  • Each child is tested by Learning Links’ psychologists prior to the program to determine their reading levels across a number of areas and their self-concept.
  • Student Learning Support Officers or Parent/Community Volunteers identified by the school are provided a 3-hour training session, all resources and support for the program.
  • The program assists children in improving their reading, self-esteem and confidence through a variety of fun activities and games to encourage engagement and interest.
  • Volunteers spend 45 minutes a week for 15 weeks, taking each child through a semi-structured program.
  • They are re-tested again at the end of the program to determine their improvement.
  • This information is compiled into a report that is given to the school and each parent.
  • Feedback is also requested from the school, the children and their parents at the end of the program.

Learning Gains Made By Children

On average, over a 15-week period*, children participating have made the following learning gains and improved their:

*Data collected during the 2020/21 school years.

What Participating Children Say

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