Online tutoring program shows gains in numeracy and literacy for children who need it most

The second trial of an online in-home tutoring program run by children’s education charity, The Smith Family, has achieved strong results for children struggling with numeracy and literacy.

The Catch-Up Learning program first ran in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and aimed to contribute to addressing the gap in educational achievement between students experiencing disadvantage and their more advantaged peers.

The evaluation of the first pilot showed promising evidence of the program’s capacity to engage students and support greater than expected gains in both literacy and numeracy.

The program targets students from Years 4 to 8 on The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program who are struggling in both these subject areas.

A larger second trial and evaluation of the program was undertaken in 2022, supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Education.

More than 400 students from across Australia completed the second program in 2022, participating in one-on-one tutoring with qualified teachers, three times a week over 20 weeks. The evaluation of the second trial also showed strong results, particularly in numeracy.

Highlights:

• Two in three (67%) students made greater progress in numeracy than might typically be expected over a six-month period.
• More than half (53%) of the participants made greater than expected progress in literacy than might typically be expected over a six-month period.
• More than two in five (44%) students who completed the Catch-Up Learning program made greater than expected progress in both literacy and numeracy.

Over 400 students completed the second trial of Catch-Up Learning. Students were from all states and territories, with around one third living in regional communities. Almost one in five are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and 44 percent of participants have a health or disability issue/s.

Students eligible for the program were:

• On the Learning for Life scholarship program
• In Years 4 to 8 in 2022
• Struggling with English and maths as they had achieved a D in both subjects at the end of 2020.

Program completion was high at 83 percent. Average program attendance for students who completed the program was also high at 86 percent. More than four in five of these students attended at least two one-hour tutoring sessions a week for 20 weeks.

Pre-program assessments confirmed students recruited to the program were behind their peers in both numeracy and literacy. More than two in five (44%) students who completed the Catch-Up Learning program made greater than expected progress in both literacy and numeracy.

Catch-Up Learning was beneficial for all groups of students – including by Indigeneity, gender, location and disability – particularly in numeracy. Two in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and non-Indigenous students made greater than expected progress in numeracy. Students with lower pre-program skill levels were more likely to make greater progress than expected in numeracy and literacy, suggesting Catch-Up Learning may be of particular benefit to students experiencing disadvantage who are furthest behind their peers.

To help determine the extent any progress could be attributed to the Catch-Up Learning program, participating students were also measured against the average progress of a reference group made up of students who hadn’t participated in the Catch-Up Learning program.

Results for numeracy

At the end of the program, two in three (67%) students had made greater progress in numeracy than might typically be expected over a six-month period.

After completing the Catch-Up Learning program, the average numeracy score of participating students had improved across all Year levels, when compared to pre-program assessment.

At the end of the program, 76 percent of students had improved their numeracy to at least the level of progress expected, with 67 percent making higher than expected progress.

Results for literacy

Results of the second Catch-Up Learning pilot for literacy were not as dramatic as for numeracy but were still overwhelmingly positive.

Again, all Year levels saw the average of participating students increase after completing the program.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of students participating in the Catch-Up Learning program made progress with their learning. And more than half (53%) of the participants had made greater than expected progress in literacy at the conclusion of the program.

Evaluation of the program showed Catch-Up Learning contributed to increased student confidence, commitment to and love of learning, and supported students to develop some of the foundations of learning that contribute to longer-term educational success.

• Qualified and experienced teachers matched to students, providing one-on-one online tutoring in the home
• Strong relationships between tutors, students and parents/carers
• Aligning learning activities with students’ interests
• Sessions tailored to the individual student and supported by a wide variety of resources

One of the key aspects of Catch-Up Learning’s success, and how it is different from most other COVID catch-up programs, is that it’s done within the home.

This meant parents could actively support their child’s participation, celebrate the progress they were making, reinforce the value of learning, and better understand their child’s learning needs. It also meant parents could pick up tips and strategies from tutors on supporting their child’s learning.

Research shows that parental engagement is a crucial factor in a child’s educational success. Regardless of income or background, engaged parents are the key component in children doing well at school, graduating, and going onto higher education.

The second trial of the Catch-Up Learning program has shown it can engage students experiencing disadvantage who are struggling in numeracy and literacy and support above expected gains in both areas. It adds weight to the promising evidence from the first pilot and demonstrates that the program can be implemented at a larger scale while still achieving positive results with participating students.

Program completion in the second trial was high at 83 percent. Average program attendance was also high at 86 percent, with 84 percent of students attending 40 or more sessions. This equates to at least two sessions per week for the duration of the 20 week program. Importantly, attendance did not vary significantly among different groups of students, demonstrating the program’s capacity to engage a diverse range of students.