What it takes to shift practice - Montello Primary School's Journey towards structured literacy
As a small, regional primary school with a vulnerable student population, the leadership of Montello Primary School knew that changes were needed to support their students to become proficient readers. Over the course of a year, the school has trained staff and implemented a structured literacy approach in their early years classrooms. This hasn't come without challenges, but Dion McCall (Principal) and Ruby Moore (Quality Teaching Coach) are ready to share preliminary data, experiences and wisdom with other schools thinking of embarking on a similar journey. In this session, Jocelyn Seamer will facilitate a conversation with Dion and Ruby about their methodology, motivations and future plans for structured literacy in their school.
Dion McCall is the Principal of Montello Primary School. As the principal of the school he attended as a student, Dion has a strong drive to make great things happen. Dion trained in primary education and then worked in middle school where he saw the impact of children leaving primary school without foundational reading skills. His desire, now, is to give every child a great start in reading so that they can reach their full potential.
Ruby Moore is the Quality Teaching Coach at Montello Primary School . She is a dedicated Tasmanian primary teacher who is passionate about equitable access to education for all students. She has held senior teaching roles with the Tasmanian Department of Education, supporting teams to implement evidence informed practices.
Jocelyn Seamer
Jocelyn Seamer is a teacher, tutor and former school leader. She has led teams in some of Australia’s remotest schools to develop practice that reflects the evidence base of reading instruction. She shares simple yet effective strategies with classroom teachers in a variety of forums – learn more at Jocelyn’s website. Her book, Reading Success in the Early Primary Years is available now!
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