Why the change? National Numeracy and Literacy Strategy/ School Self Evaluation Statistics from Australia and New Zealand where this approach is on the national curricula Very positive response from our teachers who attended courses on Lift- off and G. R.Feedback from infant teachers that traditional reading schemes had become outdated

April 2012 … Two staff members attended a preparation course in Marino.

May 2012 Senior Infant Teachers and one second class agreed to pilot

June 2012 PDST training for those involved in the pilot

Term 1 2012 …. Liftoff !!!

Pupils are tested to help with grouping.

This testing is called Benchmarking.

Testing is done 1:1 outside the door using a kit

The class teacher and/or the support teacher benchmarks.

Results are recorded before and after

• Senior Infants.

• 6 week Programme

• Every day for 1 hour

• 5 Groups / 5 stations • New Reading with class teacher • Familiar reading with

SNA/parent volunteer• Phonics with support teacher 1• Writing with support teacher 2• Independent Station

I love the stations. We’re very busy at stations. I can read all the words in my book. I get to have a new book every night. I made new friends in my group.

In a parents’ survey, following the Liftoff Pilot 100% of respondants stated that:their child enjoyed participating in the programme  they enjoyed the daily reading session with their child the programme boosted their child’s confidencethey noticed an improvement in their child’s reading 85.7 % also noticed an improvement in their child’s writing  66.6% made an additional positive comment

Level Before After

1 50 4

2 20 2

3 5 6

4 1 7

5 2 11

6 2 8

7 2 11

8 0 4

9 2 12

10 1 7

11 1 4

≥12 2 12

Senior Infants - follow-on to Literacy Liftoff

Support teacher working in class.

Twice a week for one hour in each Senior Infant Class