Sick of burying kids, Crews learns how best to save them

Slow-progress readers in years 3 to 6 will be given intensive, systematic instruction in phonics, sight words, comprehension and spelling every morning for 20 weeks. Twelve children from years 1 and 2 will have an hour at the centre after school.

"Most of my life has been spent working with kids who want to have a good life, but I struggled to make their lives better," Crews said on Friday. "I was sick of burying kids . . . The only way I have found to get through to them is education and this was the best program I found . . . It's turned me around from just [providing] welfare."

The first 32 students - about half of them indigenous - from Darlington Public School, Alexandria Park Community School and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary School at Waterloo began classes last week.

"I used to be able to read. I don't know what happened," said quiet Brittany Kelso, 11.

"We got thick books with smaller [print] and then I found some words a bit hard."

Robert Mumbulla, 11, said he liked books but found reading difficult. "I want to read Aladdin," he said.

On Friday both children were already more confident, sounding out words in unison with their classmates.

"Some people don't eat meat. Spell it with me," said tutor Micaela.

"M-e-a-t," the children said.

"Good work! Your eyes are to the front and your arms are folded! Three group points to Ambrose, Amanda and Brittany. You guys are doing a great job following our rules today!"

The tutors all use a positive teaching approach with five positive comments to every corrective comment, which is remarkably effective. The children thrive on the praise and clear boundaries; one of the hallmarks of the Macquarie University-devised MULTILIT program is the transformation of fidgety, "unteachable" children into model pupils. On the walls are banners spelling out the rules: "We put rubbish in the bin. We pack away on the first bell. We keep our body parts to ourselves. We do what the teachers say straight away. We are kind and polite to everyone."'

To qualify for the program, children must be at least two years behind their peers in reading and are regularly tested to gauge progress. When Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson organised a trial for Coen School in Cape York last year, children who had been about three years behind their non-indigenous peers in the rest of the country gained 21 months in reading accuracy and 11 months in comprehension.

An extension of the program at Crews's Ashfield Uniting Church, the Redfern centre is temporarily housed in a church hall in Alexandria until the defunct Redfern Public School is refurbished.

The star of today's grand opening will be 12-year-old Tyrell Enriquez, who had been 2 years behind his peers in reading before he started the Ashfield program. By the end, he was six months ahead and won a scholarship to Scots College this year with plans to become a doctor.

So much for a boy who thought he was "stupid".

For Crews, his eureka moment came when another 13-year-old Ashfield graduate he was driving somewhere suddenly realised he could read the street signs. "He could place himself on the planet. It was awesome. I had to stop the car. I just never knew education could be so powerful."

But the success of the MULTILIT programs underscores the tragedy of so many other young lives wasted - countless smart children who believe they are stupid because they haven't been taught to read.

At a cost of $13,750 a student, the Redfern Exodus centre will need $800,000 a year, all from donations.

Donations can be made through Leonie Wilbow at Exodus on 8752 4622.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/miranda-devine/sick-of-burying-kids-crews-learns-how-best-to-save-them/2007/03/10/1173478719147.html