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What is RILL and how did it begin?
The RILL project was created in 2020, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a short intervention programme for pupils and was delivered remotely to 200 pupils in their homes, across England. RILL Remote was shown to be beneficial in improving pupil’s reading skills.
After the success of this initial project, Bangor University, including the Miles Dyslexia Centre, teamed up with literacy research experts at the University of Oxford and the University of York and secured funding from Nuffield Foundation and the Welsh Government.
The programme is now being implemented in around 50 primary schools as an in-class catch-up programme, supporting over 300 pupils.
RILL is a high structured, 15-week programme aimed to close the reading and language gap, caused by COVID-19, with particular attention to pupils with a lower reading ability.
Why was RILL developed?
Why was RILL developed?
Following the nationwide closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are still in a recovery phase. This disruption has had significant effects across all areas of education, particularly literacy.
Literacy allows us to communicate and is paramount for educational success. Literacy skills encompass the ability to think critically, read, write, talk, and listen effectively. The possession of strong literacy skills permeates other key areas, such as enhancing social engagement, as well as prospects of educational and employment opportunities.
Schools have made significant efforts to minimise the delays in pupil’s progress with literacy, however, limited capacity and funding have made this challenging. This is where the RILL project comes in…
What does the study involve?
What does the study involve?
To identify which pupils will take part, all pupils in the class complete two short screening tasks to assess reading ability (ReadingScreen). We then invite the 12 pupils who may need additional support with reading and writing to join the project. These pupils complete a few short activities with their teaching assistant to establish a baseline of their reading, writing, and language skills.
Pupils then take part in the RILL programme or continue with their usual classroom activities, before swapping groups partway through the project. At the end, we assess progress in reading and writing for all participating pupils.
You can read a more detailed overview of the process on our Evaluation Process page.
Who can participate?
Who can participate?
The programme is designed for pupils in Years 3 and 4 attending mainstream primary schools in the UK. Following a ReadingScreen assessment, some pupils may be identified as needing additional support with their literacy skills, while others may join the programme to help strengthen their existing reading and writing skills.
How is the programme delivered?
How is the programme delivered?
RILL is delivered by TAs, who will be specially trained by the RILL research team. The TAs will use ReadingScreen, Microsoft Teams, and OneNote to successfully implement this programme. Click here to read more about the programme.
What are the benefits of participating?
What are the benefits of participating?
Pupils:
Opportunity to feel more confident whilst developing their literacy skills.
Take part in fun, interactive sessions with the support of a TA.
Ultimately, it will help pupils with English and/or Welsh literacy difficulties to ‘catch-up’.
Schools:
Free access to pre-packaged evidence based and effective literacy and language programme.
Free access to Reading Screen for the purpose of this project.
Free training and support for staff in delivering the programme.
The TAs will develop skills and confidence to teach literacy using technology.
Lessons can be easily adapted to the skills and needs of each pupil and these resources can be retained and used for pupils who have not taken part in RILL but need extra support.
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