Early literacy skills: Finding the right pathway for each child

The first two years of schooling are often regarded as ‘make or break’ for students to develop competent literacy skills that can last into adulthood. These are skills that also often define students’ overall learning experiences for the rest of their time at school. Implementing a consistent, whole-school practice of applying reading assessment data to inform pedagogy during the first two years of education can significantly contribute to the ongoing improvement of students’ literacy and their school experience. This paper introduces a simple and efficient model for educators in the early years to facilitate this practice in two keys areas of early reading – decoding and comprehension. Drawing on case studies from schools using the ACER PAT Early Years online assessment suite, various conclusions and methods are reviewed and presented for consideration. Although educators from schools using PAT assessments will find the information highly applicable, the model can be effectively implemented at any school and the outcomes are relevant to all early childhood educators.