A program with remarkable results
We know Everyone Can Read works. Not only that – there is strong evidence it is more effective than almost any comparable literacy intervention program.
By carefully recording students’ reading capacity before and after intervention over many years, we have demonstrated time and again the life-changing potential of the program.
As a rule of thumb, for secondary students, an improvement in reading age twice the length of the intervention is usually considered successful. For example, that would mean a six-month gain in reading age for a three-month intervention. The results of our Everyone Can Read mean we consider an improvement of anything below four times the length of the intervention disappointing.
One trial of Everyone Can Read led to a leading British literacy expert to declare the program as “remarkable for reading accuracy, comprehension and spelling for pupils at primary/secondary transition.” (see Kineton, below).
While reading is the focus of the program, participants’ spelling ability can also make substantial gains. We have also included those where measured.
2024: Russell Lea Public School, Sydney, Australia
From February to April 2024, three small groups totalling eight students had four 45-minutes lessons per week over nine weeks at this primary school in inner-west Sydney.
The reading age and spelling age of participants were assessed before and after using the Schonell Word Recognition Test, and the Vernon Spelling Test respectively.
| Intervention time | Average reading age gain | Average spelling age gain |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months | 8 months | 6 months |
2015/ 2016: George Salter Academy, West Bromwich, UK
From September 2015, teachers at George Salter Academy in West Bromwich ran their second Breakfast Club for Year 7 students, comprising four 30-minute lessons per week. All students had a reading age of below nine years. The target reading age was 11 years and six months, at which point the students graduated.
The classes started at 8am, allowing staff to teach the Everyone Can Read program without disrupting the school timetable. Incentives were used to boost attendance.
- Of the 13 students, four hit the target by December 2015 – each gaining more than 30 months in their reading age in just one term, and in one case three years.
- Two further students hit the target by March, in one case making a reading age gain of 36 months (three years), the other making a leap of 2 years and 11 months.
- Four further students hit the target by June 2016.
The school’s first Breakfast reading club, which did not have a target reading age, ran from September 2013 until June 2014. Participants’ reading ages were measured before and after. Four students improved by at least 36 months and another by a remarkable 53 months.
| Intervention time | Average reading age gain | Average spelling age gain |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months, 1 week | 10 months | 8 months |
2013: Moat House Primary School, Coventry, UK
Two Year 6 and three Year 5 students, the very weakest in their year group, were taught for 10 weeks using Everyone Can Read.
They had five 35-minute lessons a week. Reading and spelling ages were measured before and after intervention using the NFER Reading Test and the Vernon spelling test.
| Intervention time | Average reading age gain | Average spelling age gain |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months, 1 week | 10 months | 8 months |
* Attendance was relatively poor (86%), but progress was significant. Two students made greater reading gains during the 10-week trial than they had in more than four years at school.
2008: Finham Park School, Coventry, UK
Four Year 8 and three Year 9 students were selected for the Everyone Can Read program. At the start, their reading ages were at least two years below their chronological age, and in one case almost six years behind.
They were divided into two small groups, taking either four or five 50-minute lessons a week over 10 weeks.
Students were tested for reading and spelling ages at the beginning and end of the intervention using the NFER Reading Test and the Vernon Spelling Test.
| Intervention time | Average reading age gain | Average spelling age gain |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months, 1 week | 33 months | 10.5 months |
1998: Kineton, UK
During a summer school over two weeks, 29 Year 6 students, whose reading ages all lagged significantly behind their chronological ages, underwent an intensive reading intervention course using the Everyone Can Read program.
| Intervention time | Average reading age gain | Average spelling age gain |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 months | 7.7 months | 5 months |
These results led the program to be ranked as remarkable by UK literacy expert Greg Brooks, an Emeritus Professor at Sheffield University.
More in-depth details for the results are available on request.