by Sarah Marinos
When it comes to building early literacy and numeracy skills, the research is clear on what works best: explicit instruction. This method, especially when applied to foundational concepts like phonics and early numeracy, has consistently shown its effectiveness in helping students succeed.
Educators on the frontline, like Rhiannon Rowe, Head of English (Junior School) and Year 1 teacher at Haileybury, see the impact of this approach firsthand. “I’ll never forget when one of my students looked up from her book and said, ‘I can read this by myself now!’ It was as if a switch had been flipped,” Rowe recalls. “Moments like that illustrate how transformative a strong phonics program can be — not just for a child’s reading skills, but for their confidence in learning.”
Changes in the Classroom
In June, the Victorian government announced a significant shift: explicit teaching will be rolled out across all classrooms by 2025. Students from Prep to Grade 2 will be taught reading using a systematic synthetic phonics approach that clearly explains the relationship between sounds and letters. This revamped program also includes oral language, vocabulary, reading fluency, and comprehension.
What the Research Says
The decision to introduce evidence-based teaching—rooted in explicit instruction—is supported by studies from organisations like the Australian Education Research Organisation and the Grattan Institute. These findings show that explicit instruction is the most effective method for teaching literacy and numeracy to the largest number of students, particularly those who are struggling.
Haileybury has been a leader in this area, delivering evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs, including phonics, for over 18 years. Their explicit teaching model follows the “I Do, We Do, You Do” structure. “Education systems worldwide have followed research showing that explicit phonics instruction is vital for early readers — it helps students ‘crack the code,’” says Grenville Green, Haileybury’s Deputy Principal (Junior School).
Implementing Phonics in the Classroom
Haileybury teachers understand the importance of early exposure to letters and sounds. The school’s structured phonics program helps students make these connections from day one. “We teach students to use letters and sounds from the start. Each day, they have multiple opportunities to practice what they’ve learned, embedding and building proficiency,” explains Green.
This same approach is used in numeracy, with lessons starting with a warm-up of previously learned concepts to build confidence and knowledge retention. The method is simple but effective: students practice one letter or sound per day, then revisit previous lessons during daily warm-up sessions to reinforce their learning.
Translating into Success
Haileybury’s success is evident in its consistent top rankings in NAPLAN results. In 2023, the school’s NAPLAN average for Years 3 and 5 was 544.1, significantly higher than the national average of 417.9. By Year 3, many Haileybury students are reading at a Year 6 level.
The same evidence-based programs are being implemented at Haileybury Rendall School in Darwin. “If I walk into a classroom in Darwin today, students will be focusing on the same words and tasks as students in Melbourne,” says Green.
Sharing Success with Other Schools
Haileybury has shared its expertise in explicit instruction with over 100 schools across Australia, particularly those in disadvantaged communities. By organising workshops and demonstrating teaching strategies, Haileybury has helped improve NAPLAN scores, reading levels, and student engagement in these schools.
“Building a solid foundation of literacy and numeracy skills in the early years has ongoing positive impacts,” says Green. “It helps students be prepared for later years and increases their success and confidence in VCE.”
To further support educators, Haileybury is launching a comprehensive introduction to synthetic phonics, offering practical strategies, assessment tools, and resources for teaching phonics effectively.
Haileybury will host a webinar about evidence-based practices and the phonics program on Monday, 28 October at 6.30 pm. To secure your seat, visit All-in-one virtual event platform | Zoom Events.
The above article was supplied to The Educator by Sarah Marinos from Haileybury’s communications team.
Haileybury is a private school with campuses in Keysborough, Brighton East, Berwick, Melbourne's CBD, Darwin, Northern Territory and online campus, Haileybury Pangea. It also has an international campus in the Tianjin outer district of Wuqing, China.