Tasmanian students are getting the support they need with reading earlier than ever before, thanks to a new suite of evidence-based screening tools that are being adopted as part of the Tasmanian Government's Lifting Literacy Plan.
Minister for Education, Jo Palmer, said over the coming weeks, all Year 1 students are participating in the Year 1 Phonics Check.
"The Year 1 Phonics Check looks at how well each child can decode written words and confirms whether they are making expected progress in reading," Minister Palmer said.
"Teachers will use this information to identify and provide extra support to those students who need it.
"As part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, Government primary schools will be required to teach at least one hour per day of structured literacy from 2025."
Last year, 95 per cent of Year 1 students at Government schools participated in the check and 50 per cent met or exceeded expected phonics achievement.
As all Government schools adopt a structured approach to literacy, more students are expected to meet or exceed the benchmark.
This year, students at Catholic and Independent schools will also participate in the check and statewide aggregated results will be published in December.
Evidence-based screening now starts from Kindergarten, with more than 40 schools trialling the Grammar and Phonological Screen (GAPS).
GAPS helps educators identify possible language disorders and children who may be at risk of more specific reading difficulties, before they reach Prep.
From Prep to Year 8, all Government schools are adopting a screening tool known as DIBELS - Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills.
These short one-minute checks assess student progress in the individual subskills of reading, including phonics, fluency and comprehension.
More than 100 schools are already using DIBELS and all schools will be using the screening tool by 2026.
"Not only does DIBELS enable teachers to provide targeted support it also gives immediate feedback on what's working and what's not," Minister Palmer said.
"Teachers are already reporting small improvements in their data, which is exciting for both teachers and students as success builds on success.
"We know it will take time to see a significant shift in our literacy levels so it's great to see that our Lifting Literacy Plan is already making a difference."
