At the Happy Space, we use the PAL Program, which stands for Phonological Awareness for Literacy. The PAL Program is an evidence- based program developed by the University of Queensland, supported by speech pathologists, occupational therapists and teachers. The PAL Program develops students’ phonological awareness skills through explicit teaching of reading and spelling skills through fun and functional activities in small groups. There is also a small amount of home-learning required each week.

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What are the aims of the program?

• Improve phonological awareness and its application to reading and spelling;

• Ensure automatic sound-letter links for consonants (including digraphs such as ‘th’), short vowels (e.g. ‘a’, ‘i’) and long vowels (e.g. ‘ie’, ‘oi’, ‘au’);

• Improve spelling and reading of single words, including both single syllable and multi-syllabic words;

• Address sensory-motor issues and maximise the ability of students to:

  • Maintain their alertness and attention in sessions Maintain upright sitting postures

  • Write more easily and quickly

• Create a supportive environment that empowers the student to develop their own literacy skills; create a sense of achievement, and increase motivation to continue to learn and read outside of the PAL sessions!

The program consists of fortnightly in-clinic sessions with an allied health assistant (AHA), with frequent supervision from a speech pathologist.