Frequently Asked Questions

The QuickSmart Numeracy and Literacy programs both offer under-achieving students a second chance to become active and confident learners in the classroom.

The aims of the programs include: 

• to improve the speed, accuracy and understanding of basic mathematics and/or literacy (reading, vocabulary and comprehension) of students in Years 4 to 9.
• to facilitate students’ active engagement and participation in class and provide a sound foundation for further classroom instruction
• to enable students to perform at levels comparable with their average- achieving peers on state-wide or standardised tests.

You can read more about the program aims here.

There are three tiers of learning intervention in the RTI (Response To Intervention) Framework:

• Tier 1 (Whole class): Comprehensive, research-based curriculum, delivered class-wide to all students.
• Tier 2 (Small group): Standardised, targeted small-group instruction using a validated intervention program.
• Tier 3 (Individual): Individualised intervention, based on frequent and in-depth analysis of student data.

As QuickSmart lessons are carried out with pairs of students (making it a small group intervention program), it could therefore be considered Tier 2. However, it also has many of the characteristics of Tier 3, as the program is individualised for each student based on the data collected throughout the program.

The QuickSmart programs are aimed at students in years 4 to 9 (middle school). QuickSmart is a Tier 2 intervention program, and the students should be selected from the lowest bands in their year group. A QuickSmart student should:

• be a low achiever in the areas of literacy and/or numeracy
• have a good attendance record
• have average cognitive potential without major attention difficulties
• display a good attitude towards working in a small group setting
• display willingness to be part of the program

Students can be identified using results from PATMaths, the PAT-R assessments, NAPLAN, class assessments, or by teacher recommendation. The selection process is explained in more detail at the first workshop.

Primary school students who participate in QuickSmart programs meet the criteria of having:

• experienced persistent difficulty in either reading or numeracy;
• displayed a good attitude to working in small groups; and
• average cognitive potential without major attention difficulties.
• experienced learning difficulties in either English or Mathematics
• achieved proficiency level ‘Developing’ or ‘Needs Additional Support’ on the NAPLAN assessments;
• a regular school attendance pattern; and
• average cognitive potential without major attention difficulties.

Schools should begin QuickSmart instruction as soon as possible following the completion of the first two-day workshop. Time is needed to prepare the room, select and pair the students, develop the timetable, inform the staff and parents, and undertake testing of all QuickSmart students as part of the pre-test data collection.

Students should ideally complete at least 90 QuickSmart lessons over the year. This is sometimes difficult to achieve in the first year and the issue is discussed and clarified at the second workshop. Schools should allow approximately two weeks to complete the post-testing for students at the end of their QuickSmart program.

Yes, students that started the program in one year can continue the program in the next year. Students can be moved to a QuickSmart class in the Portal in the following year.

For most students, a total of 90 lessons (delivered as three, thirty-minute lessons per week) is sufficient time to complete QuickSmart. However, there are some students who may require additional help and, hence, a second year on the program.

Our data indicates that those students who do require a second year usually improve at a far greater rate in the second year than was the case in the first year.

QuickSmart offers a new way to address numeracy and literacy problems for students in the bottom 30% of the achievement spectrum.

Accumulated data over the last two decades confirm that QuickSmart:

• offers these students long-term cognitive growth well after they exit the program;
• improves student attendance rates and class behaviour;
• effects transcend the targeted cohort and over time Principals report strong school-wide effects.

Absolutely! One of the best ways to find out more about the programs is by talking with our passionate instructors. QuickSmart is run in every Australian state, in primary, central and secondary/high schools, and in all school systems (Government, Catholic, Independent, etc).

If you have a Facebook account, a great place to start is by joining our almost 800-member strong QuickSmart Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1689341781378163/ The coordinators, instructors and QuickSmart staff there are more than happy to answer your questions.

QuickSmart staff can also put you in touch with other schools that run QuickSmart in your area, but please be aware that generating this kind of list is a timely process, as any information we release falls into strict parameters, including:

• if the school publicly states on their website that they run the program;
• if they have a current QuickSmart licence;
• if they regularly submit their annual lesson data;
• the time given to identify QuickSmart schools close to you using Google maps, etc.

To see the QuickSmart space set-up from some of our schools, please click here.

In the first year of professional development (referred to as Basic Skills), there are three two-day workshops – a total of six days. These occur at the beginning, the middle and towards the end of the school year. Dates and venues can be viewed on our Professional Development Calendar.

When a school takes up a QuickSmart program for the first time, they can send up to five staff members for all six days of training, plus a school executive (principal, etc) to the first workshop.

The initial five staff members can be executives, teachers, teaching assistants and paraprofessionals. The focus on quality teaching aspects and neuroscience in education means that there is learning and insights for all people involved in improving student learning.

Important: It is critical that the staff member assuming the role of QuickSmart Coordinator, and those intending to be QuickSmart Instructors, attend the entire six days.

Everyone who successfully completes the training is awarded a QuickSmart Certificate. Extensive documentation of the teaching standards addressed for executive members and teachers, and the professional competencies addressed for teaching assistants and paraprofessionals is also included.

The six days of Basic Skills awards 47 hours of PD hours.

In NSW, the SiMERR National Research Centre (the home of QuickSmart) is officially recognised by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) as a professional development provider: https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/teacher-accreditation/maintain-accreditation/nesa-recognised-pd-provider-list

Attendees must register via an order form (downloaded from our website) no less than three weeks before a workshop.

Please note that this course is only available to staff from schools that have submitted an approved enrolment form to SiMERR for the relevant year. The information below applies to both Numeracy and Literacy courses.

New QuickSmart instructors complete six days of sequential professional development workshops in their first year, delivered as three blocks of two days each (typically Terms 1, 3, and 4). Instructors can begin teaching students after completing the first two-day block, with training continuing alongside student progress.

QuickSmart instructors can be teachers, teacher aides, learning support officers, Aboriginal Education Officers, librarians, or any school staff member who regularly works with students.

The training program equips instructors to provide:

• Effective instruction that maximises on-task time and scaffolds learning for student success

• Focused, engaging practice through guided and independent timed activities

• Strategy instruction and concept development

• Confidence-building through a ‘can do’ attitude

• Appropriate modelling and motivational activities that develop fluency

Instructors will learn to:

• Use time as a learning dimension and incorporate automaticity (Quick) and accuracy (Smart) principles

• Structure activities for success and plan for individual student needs over extended periods

• Create motivational, non-competitive environments focused on individual improvement

• Integrate unobtrusive assessment and monitoring into lessons

• Design activities that improve information processing by freeing up working memory

• Understand how automaticity requires conceptual understanding, effective strategy use, and ongoing formative assessment

Participants who complete the training receive a certificate of recognition from the SiMERR National Research Centre at UNE.

• This is a one-day workshop. It is a mix of presenter-led information sharing, and participant-led discussion and feedback sessions.
• The course can only be undertaken by participants who have completed the relevant Basic Skills course no less than three years previously.

No. The only recurring cost is the renewal of the Portal/QBSA Licence, which comes up every three years.

No. For data collection purposes we recommend a minimum of 12 students, but in small schools this may not be achievable. There is no maximum number of students that a school can place on the program. We want to encourage schools to include as many students in need as possible.

Other school expenses that are not included in the program fee are photocopying of worksheets, purchasing of student folders for each participant, and the purchase of additional computers and microphones if using more than one workstation.

After each face-to-face workshop each school is asked to contribute $30 per person per day towards catering and venue hire costs incurred by SiMERR. In an effort to keep the program cost as low as possible, this is a pro rata contribution.

QuickSmart was developed and is administered by the SiMERR National Research Centre, a not-for profit research centre, based at the University of New England. It is a programmatic research program that commenced in 2001. All sites that implement the QuickSmart program become part of the research model and there is the expectation that pre- and post-data on student performance will be collected, analysed and reported.

We offer administrative and professional support from 9am to 5pm (EST), five days a week, and IT support from 10am-2pm, Monday to Friday.

The total price of QuickSmart is an all-inclusive cost for:

• the program;
• the professional development (six days for up to five staff);
• data analysis;
• school report;
• extensive resource materials;
• a three-year software licence;
• direct support of your school’s QuickSmart instructors by our staff; and
• ongoing phone and online professional and technical support.

• QuickSmart Executive: This is a school executive who has overall oversight of the program. This person chairs team meetings (maybe once a term or once a semester), oversees program implementation and data collection, addresses implementation concerns where possible, supports staff involved in QS (especially in relation to other staff), oversees financial details, and if applicable, communicates with Regional/Diocese Cluster Officer and Region/Diocese Director.
• QuickSmart Coordinator: A teacher takes on this role and is responsible for managing the day-to-day issues, as well as mentoring Instructors, preparing the program timetable, overseeing the testing, and assisting with the reports for the second and third workshop. It is valuable if the coordinator is able to take a pair of QuickSmart students over the year.
• QuickSmart Instructors: These staff-members provide the lessons to students and are made up of both teachers and teacher assistants.

A school needs a room or private area specifically for QuickSmart, with enough space for at least one workstation. A workstation involves a desk, three chairs, shelving (for worksheets and student folders), storage space for the games pack and resource kit, and a Windows-based computer with a microphone (a microphone is supplied when a school purchases the program).

Some schools can accommodate five workstations in a traditional classroom. In such cases, ten students and five QS Instructors can be working at any one time. Some schools also include a white board for extended activities and wall space to celebrate student success.

We typically recommend a minimum of 12 students (6 pairs) to undertake QuickSmart at a school. The reason for this minimum has to do with sample size in the data analysis for a school. Of course, this number is not possible in some small schools, and we accept this.

The staff commitment of a QS Instructor for twelve students is a minimum of ten hours a week (6 times 1.5 hours equals 9 hours, plus one hour for preparation). There is no maximum to the number of students a school can enrol in any one year.

There will need to be some time allocation for QuickSmart Coordinators, unless it is built into their role expectation.

A school receives the following resources at the first workshop:

• Flashcard Kit
• Games pack (Numeracy only)
• Resources and Organisation folder that contains masters for the paper resources required to run the QuickSmart lessons
• Sample Student Folder
• QuickSmart User Guide
• Microphone
• Three-year Portal/QBSA licence

Yes, additional kits and materials can be ordered through the QuickSmart Portal site once a school joins the program.

Yes, however it is currently not available for schools to purchase as it is still in active development.

QuickSmart Online Numeracy (QSON) will be a self-paced learning program designed to be delivered to anyone who requires assistance to improve their basic numeracy skills and are caught in a cycle that precludes advancement. It is delivered as a standalone program that can be used independently or in facilitated groups.

QSON will be designed to improve students’ information retrieval times, free working memory from routine tasks, and foster automaticity in basic skills.

QSON will target students in the lower 30-50% bracket, while traditional face-to-face QuickSmart serves the lower 10-30% bracket. QSON is not intended as a replacement for face-to-face programs.

Accessed through the QuickSmart Portal, QSON will feature online versions of face-to-face lesson components:

• Focus Facts
• Flash Cards
• Speed Sheets
• Fast and Accurate Basic Skills (FABS); the assessment component equivalent to QBSA
• Games
• Problem Solving

Following comprehensive trials with select South Australian schools in 2021-2022, QSON aims to improve basic numeracy skills through targeted explicit instruction and deliberate practice in an interactive environment.

The intervention aims to increase accuracy and automatic recall while emphasising conceptual understanding through explicit approaches highlighting key underpinning concepts.

Based on research demonstrating the importance of specific component skills, the QuickSmart programs enables students developing fluency in basic skills to direct more cognitive resources to higher-order processes like meaningful reading and mathematical problem-solving. 

QuickSmart has two different programs; one for Numeracy and one for Literacy. You child may be partaking in one or both of these. They are basic-skills intervention programs aimed at students between Years 4 and 9. The most important thing to remember is that QuickSmart is not for “dumb kids” – it is just for children who find some aspects of numeracy and/or literacy difficult, and need a helping hand outside of the classroom.

Your child’s school has identified that your child may benefit from learning intervention in either numeracy and/or literacy. There are several reasons your child may be chosen: their skills are below what would normally be expected, their results may be slipping and they’re placed on intervention to stop any further decline, they may have gaps in their learning due to illness, absence or other reason, only to name a few.

The standard implementation of QuickSmart at a school is three thirty-minute lessons every week. We encourage schools to timetable the QuickSmart lessons so that the students don’t miss the same class for every QuickSmart lesson. The lessons continue for about thirty weeks over the year, with ninety lessons being the goal. Thee aim is for the children to improve their results, so that they can function independently in the classroom.

QuickSmart is a basic-skills intervention program for students in Years 4 to 9. There are two programs available: Numeracy and Literacy. These programs are for children who find some aspects of numeracy and/or literacy difficult and need a helping hand outside of the classroom.

As a comparison student, your child has been selected as representing students who do not need intervention in the aforementioned areas. Comparison students are used as a standard against which the students on the program are measured. They will undergo the same QuickSmart Basic Skills Assessor (QBSA) and PAT pre- and post-testing as the QuickSmart students, but not attend any regular QuickSmart lessons.

QuickSmart is an ongoing research project run by the SiMERR National Research Centre at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. We are sent anonymous data from schools every year, which we use to improve the program and show its continued effectiveness. It is also used for reports and publications. Reports are based on groups of students, not individuals.

This is the data the school has requested your permission to use. It includes the following:

• Your child’s year at school and what level of tests they undertook
• Your child’s QuickSmart lesson results
• Your child’s PAT test results
• Your child’s QuickSmart lesson attendance numbers (not comparison students)
• The answers to surveys asking your child’s opinions on QuickSmart (not comparison students)

The data does NOT include the following, nor will we ever ask for it:

• Your child’s name or contact details
• Your child’s date of birth (as of 2019)

Only the school’s QuickSmart Coordinator and the SiMERR research team will know your child is taking part.

Please discuss this with your child’s school.

If you do not want your child to take part in the research, you will need to “opt out” of the program. Your child may continue in your QuickSmart lessons without taking part in the research project. Please advise your child’s school of your wishes.

We will keep all your child’s anonymous data sent by mail securely locked within our research office, or password protected on the QuickSmart database in the case of digital data. We will keep it for a total of five years after the project finishes and then destroy all copies.

This project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New England (Approval No. HE23-191, Valid to 18/12/2026).

Professor John Pegg, Director of the SiMERR National Centre, is the head researcher of QuickSmart.

The Research Fellows in the centre include:

• Associate Professor Eveline Chan: Literacy (Research)
• Dr Maree Lake: Research Fellow (Numeracy)
• Dr Stefan Horarik: Research Fellow

Contact us at SiMERR on 02 6773 5067 or at quicksmart@une.edu.au

If you have any complaints about the way this research is conducted, please contact the Research Ethics Officer at:

Research Services, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351

Tel: (02) 6773 3449 / Fax: (02) 6773 3543 / Email: ethics@une.edu.au

Yes! Please see our QuickSmart@Home Numeracy program. There are currently no plans to create a version of the Literacy program for parents.

It means that your teachers want to help you with literacy or numeracy. Maybe you find reading a bit tricky, or you don’t quite understand what you read. Maybe you find maths hard. Some kids do only one program, some do both. Either way, your teachers think that with a bit of help, you could improve. The most important thing to remember is that QuickSmart is not for “dumb kids” – it is for students who find some aspects of numeracy and/or literacy difficult, and need a helping hand outside of the classroom.

The standard implementation of QuickSmart at a school is three thirty-minute lessons every week. Each lesson is broken down into six different five-minute components, including flash cards and the computer-based QuickSmart Basic Skills Assessor (QBSA) program. The lessons continue for about thirty weeks over the year, with ninety lessons being the goal.

QuickSmart is a basic-skills intervention program for students in Years 4 to 9. There are two programs available: Numeracy and Literacy. These programs are not for “dumb kids”. They are for children who find some aspects of numeracy and/or literacy difficult and need a helping hand outside of the classroom.

As a comparison student, you represent students who do not need intervention in the aforementioned areas. Comparison students are used as a standard against which the students on the program are measured. You will undergo a test at the start of the year and at the end of the year, but you will not attend any regular QuickSmart lessons.

QuickSmart is an ongoing research project run by the SiMERR National Research Centre at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. We are sent anonymous data from schools every year, which we use to improve the program and show its continued effectiveness. It is also used for reports and publications. Reports are based on groups of students, not individuals.

This is the data the school has requested your permission to use. It includes the following:

• Your year at school and what level of tests they undertook
• Your QuickSmart lesson results
• Your PAT test results
• Your QuickSmart lesson attendance numbers (this does not apply to comparison students)
• The answers to surveys asking your opinions on QuickSmart (this does not apply to comparison students)

The data does NOT include the following, nor will we ever ask for it:

• Your name or contact details
• Your date of birth (as of 2019)

Only the school’s QuickSmart Coordinator will know you are taking part.

You do not have to take part in this research, and you may choose not to take part or to withdraw at any time without explanation.

You may continue in your QuickSmart lessons without taking part in the research project. Please advise your school if this is the case.

We will keep all your anonymous data sent by mail securely locked within our research office, or password protected on the QuickSmart database in the case of digital data. We will keep it for at least five years after the project finishes and then destroy all copies.

This project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New England (Approval No. HE23-191, Valid to 18/12/2026).

Professor John Pegg, Director of the SiMERR National Centre, is the head researcher of QuickSmart.

The Research Fellows in the centre include:

• Associate Professor Eveline Chan: Literacy (Research)
• Dr Maree Lake: Research Fellow (Numeracy)
• Dr Stefan Horarik: Research Fellow

Contact us at SiMERR on 02 6773 5067 or at quicksmart@une.edu.au

If you have any complaints about the way this research is conducted, please contact the Research Ethics Officer at:

Research Services, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351

Tel: (02) 6773 3449 / Fax: (02) 6773 3543 / Email: ethics@une.edu.au