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ACU education experts win million-dollar grant to improve Indigenous literacy

ACU education experts have won a million-dollar government grant for a new program to improve Indigenous children's literacy.

Researchers from ACU's Institute for Positive Psychology and Education and the Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy secured a grant of $1.005 million through the Australian Research Council's Linkage Projects scheme.

The project, Deadly Home Reading, is a parent-and-child program that helps families teach their young children how to read. It is being carried out in partnership with the Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation, the traditional custodians of the Hunter region of NSW.

The project will test the effectiveness of a new home reading intervention on young (K-2) Indigenous children's literacy, oral language and self-concept.

The researchers are hoping to generate new knowledge about effective home reading strategies for Indigenous children, capitalising on interdisciplinary advances from "The Science of Reading", research on home reading and the wisdom of Indigenous communities.

This will help identify interventions that enhance Indigenous literacy and deliver successful Indigenous-led research that addresses community-identified needs.

The ACU team is led by Professor Rhonda Craven, alongside Professor Rauno Parrila, Professor Herbert Marsh and Professor Reinhard Pekrun.

Professor Craven is the founding director of ACU's Institute for Positive Psychology and Education (IPPE) and an expert in Indigenous education and success.

"We are delighted to receive this grant, which will enable us to make real progress towards advancing literacy for Indigenous children which is crucial for getting the most out of school and life," Professor Craven said.

Professor Craven said this grant builds on the strong body of research in IPPE's current Indigenous Game Changers research program, conducted with the Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation with an overarching mission to transform and enrich Indigenous lives.

The ARC Linkage Project scheme promotes national and international partnerships between researchers, industry and community organisations.