More children able to read about research’s success record

A program that’s helped thousands of children struggling to read has been recognised in a campaign to promote the merits of university research.

MultiLit doesn’t accept reading should send kids to sleep.

A practical program that has helped thousands of children struggling to read has been recognised in a campaign to lift public understanding of the transformative difference university research makes in the community.

MultiLit, which was developed from original work at Macquarie University’s remedial reading unit in 1995, is among three initiatives Universities Australia has highlighted in its #UniResearchChangesLives video series, along with a University of Melbourne music therapy program for people living with dementia and a University of Adelaide world-first blood test for pain, aimed at helping chronic sufferers.

MultiLit deputy director Robyn Wheldall, who co-founded the program with Kevin Wheldall, said that while the original remit for the program was to “catch up” primary students who were behind in reading, the ultimate hope was to head off any ­incipient difficulties for children who were much younger.

“MultiLit originally stood for ‘making up lost time in literacy’,” Dr Wheldall said. “So the idea was that we’re going to close the gap. Now we’re trying to catch kids even earlier, after a year of school, who are struggling.”

MultiLit, which is strongly grounded in phonics but also pushes vocabulary, comprehension and fluency, has evolved into a suite of programs. “What we are focusing on at the moment is a program called InitiaLit which is not remedial,” Dr Wheldall said. “It is the first teaching of reading kids have in school, basically a foundational program for kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 for the whole class. We’re trying to avoid the problems from arising in the first place.”

Dr Wheldall said one or more of the MultiLit programs was in almost half of the schools in Australia and across all sectors, public, independent and Catholic.

The 2½-minute video shows Dr Wheldall working with eight-year old Matilda and her mother Alice. “Because this program was funded by a university, I trust it,” Alice says.

“I know the hours I’m spending, that (Matilda) is spending, are spent well.”

Speaking at a Parliament House breakfast to launch the video series yesterday, Education Minister Dan Tehan said: “Our researchers have produced extraordinary developments that have improved the lives of Australians and changed the world, from the cervical cancer vaccine to solar technology and the bionic ear.”

Mr Tehan said federal government had invested $9.6 billion on ­research and development, including $3.6bn in the higher education sector last financial year.

“We are also punching above our weight. Australia has just 0.3 per cent of the world’s population but we produce 2.6 per cent of the world’s published scientific research.”

UA chief executive Catriona Jackson said the MultiLit research had “transformed tens of thousands of Australian children” and that more than 90 per cent of Australian university research was rated at world class or higher according to the Excellence in ­Research for Australia assessment this year.

The video campaign was launched in December, with three videos featuring the work of University of Queensland’s Ian ­Frazer on cervical cancer vaccine and work at other universities on brain injury and family violence.