Literacy Program

quicksmart literacy

Overview: The QuickSmart Literacy intervention program focuses on the automaticity of word recognition, fluency in reading connected texts, and development of vocabulary. The primary aim of QuickSmart is for the students to develop automaticity. QuickSmart lessons emphasise the development of conceptual understanding. Conceptual understanding is ensured by explicitly teaching strategies that emphasise the key concepts underpinning the academic skills being taught.

QuickSmart was awarded highest ratings in the field of Education on research Engagement and Impact by the Australian Research Council (ARC) in its national assessment of research contribution to the broader community and the economy.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A QUICKSMART LITERACY INFORMATION FLYER

Literacy Program Description

QuickSmart Literacy is a research-based intervention program designed specifically for middle-years students (Years 4 to 9) who are struggling with reading comprehension and literacy skills.

The intervention sessions are structured to include a number of short and focused activities aimed at improving a student’s speed of word recognition and reading fluency. Once the program is established, at least one lesson a week also focuses on reading comprehension.

QuickSmart Literacy uses contextualised learning where students work with age-appropriate, engaging texts rather than simplified materials. Students experience significant improvements in reading comprehension and literacy confidence as they work with texts matched to their interest level while building foundational skills.

Literacy Lesson Structure

QuickSmart Literacy consists of three 30-minute lessons weekly for 30 weeks (SiMERR strongly recommends at least 90 lessons in total). Students work in pairs with the same instructor, ideally matched by similar reading obstacles. An experienced teacher or trained teacher aide delivers the program under trained teacher supervision.

Instruction is organised into 3-4 week units (9-12 lessons) centring on sets of approximately thirty focus words. Word sets range from high-usage 3-4 letter words to more complex sets, linked to curriculum areas, quality literary texts, or student-interest themes. Focus words are incorporated into relevant connected text passages.

Each lesson includes:

  • Timed flashcard activities using focus words from target text
  • Vocabulary activities
  • Repeated readings of target text to improve fluency
  • Scaffolded comprehension strategies
  • Reading games consolidating word recognition and meaning
  • Regular testing using QuickSmart Basic Skills Assessor (QBSA) tasks*

*QBSA assessment and instruction tasks include:

  • Simple and middle word recognition
  • Simple and middle close sentence comprehension
  • Non-word reading tasks (particularly challenging for students with learning disabilities)

To purchase the QuickSmart Literacy Program, please see our purchasing guide.

The purchase includes:

Professional Development

  • The QuickSmart Literacy program includes 6 days (3×2-day workshops) of Basic Skills Professional Development training for up to five staff members in the first year of the program

Physical Resources

  • 1 x QuickSmart Literacy Kit
    • Flash cards for the texts in the Resource & Organisation Folder
    • Strategy cards for word study and comprehension exercises
    • 1 x Stopwatch
    • Set of counters in four different colours
    • Set of QuickSmart Literacy Games (dominoes, word meaning games & bingo)
  • 1 x Resource & Organisation Folder containing master copies of student texts, instructors’ copies, word study sheets, word lists, word meaning sheets and comprehension sheets for four different text levels (Essential Words, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3)
  • 1 x USB microphone
  • 1 x Sample student folder
  • 2 x User Guides

Three-Year Digital Resources and Assessment Tool Access Licence

  • 3-year QBSA application licence
  • 3-year access to the Literacy digital Program Resources in the QuickSmart Portal, which includes extra resources and digital copies of all of the above paper resources
  • Access to additional online text resources
  • An annual “end-of-program” school report based on data provided to SiMERR for analysis

Ongoing program, administration and IT phone and email support

What is not included: printed resources of the additional texts available online, however all additional materials can be printed from the digital Program Resources section of the QS Portal.