Effective literacy intervention can transform the learning experience for students, but achieving success requires thoughtful planning and consistent support. In this post, we’ve gathered advice from schools that have seen remarkable results with Lexia. These star schools share tips and strategies that helped them maximise the impact of the programme and ensure that students not only engage but thrive.
1. Ensure timetabling is closely considered
“We have found that timetabling has had the biggest impact to our Lexia implementation. We made sure to consider which lessons were appropriate to take pupils out of to complete Lexia avoiding their core subjects, PE, and PSHE. This has really helped to ensure that everyone gets a minimum of 2 sessions. We have also considered which pupils will benefit from one-to-one sessions, so we have been able to ensure that additional needs are met.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Theale Green School, Reading.
2. Give teachers and learners time to adjust to new routines
“Keep on with it! Give it time. If it is a new intervention strategy to you, there is so much to delve into and so many tools that you may not be aware of yet, so I would say to take the time to get your head around it. Likewise with the learners, giving them the time to interact with the software and progress is important. With time, learners can begin to identify the situations and topics that they struggle with and allow them to address them with consistent practice and build those skills up.”
– Alex Parry, Upton-by-Chester High School, Cheshire.
3. Ensure all staff are trained on the programme
“I think training all staff, teachers and TAs alike, is crucial to a successful implementation. It was really important that we all had a shared understanding of why we were using Lexia and that everyone was on board with how responsive it was and the fact that it generates intervention planning for you. It was essential to get those benefits across so that it would be used consistently in class.”
– Kiran Satti, Oasis Academy Woodview, Birmingham.
4. Celebrate every success, no matter how small
“Share and celebrate every little bit of progress you are seeing. Getting that recognition in front of their class and the whole school has really given them a boost. There is a positive atmosphere in our Lexia sessions to the point where we have other pupils in school have been asking if they can join! For me, this just shows that they are really enjoying it and it is not just seen as an additional lesson. They’re seeing it as a fun session.”
– Mhairi Paton, Pembridge Hall School, London.
5. Ensure consistency with dedicated Lexia staff
“I think the main thing we would say is consistency is key. It works really well in our school because our roles are dedicated to delivering Lexia and we can ensure that pupils are getting access every single week.
Having trained members of staff responsible for Lexia has meant that it can be consistent, the kids know who to come to and can get into the routines needed to make progress. The fact that they can develop a positive relationship with their Lexia tutor has meant that engagement in the sessions has been high. Building those relationships is so important! Often, pupils at secondary that struggle with reading can be quite disengaged with lessons, so it is important to make the sessions and those connections as positive as possible.”
– Abbie Maguire and Beth Meacock, Oasis Academy Leesbrook, Oldham.
6. Take time to explore and make the most of LexiaUK’s annual training opportunities.
“Give yourself the time to really look at the program and how it works. Before you start, it’s good to start off with a small group of children or even create a test account for yourself so you can really discover what is available on Lexia because it is so vast and varied. Giving yourself that time is important. You need that personal input time to understand the content and be able to deliver it properly to promote confidence and that positive learning experience.
I felt that my Annual Review with LexiaUK was really helpful as well. It’s something that I hadn’t engaged in before, but I found the chat about our Implementation plan really helpful to enable me to target. My adviser emailed me a copy that I was able to take to my review with SLT and use to create goals for my personal achievement.”
– Lynne Tandy, Herne Junior School, Hampshire.
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By focusing on key areas such as timetabling, staff training and consistent support, these schools have created environments where students are empowered to improve their reading skills and fully engage with the intervention process.
For additional support, be sure to arrange your annual training and review session with the LexiaUK Implementation and Support team.
Get in touch today to ensure your school can make the most
