Dear Parent,

Thank you for your interest in MULTILIT.

My colleagues and I combine research and theory with program development and service delivery in an attempt to demonstrate just what can be achieved to help below average readers to learn reading and related reading skills rapidly. I have been researching and writing about special education with particular reference to low-progress students with learning and/or behaviour difficulties for over 30 years and much of this research and development work is now incorporated into the methods we use in MULTILIT.

I should like to emphasise that the approach we take is non-categorical. By this I mean that we will not be speculating about the possible causes underlying or reasons why your child may have failed to make progress in developing good literacy skills except insofar as we can gain useful information about how to teach the low-progress reader effectively. Quite simply, and like many other authorities in this area, we do not find categorical labels and hypothetical causes useful in determining how a child can best be helped to learn.

Parents will find this reflected in our approach to assessment and reporting. We do not offer long, discursive speculations on the possible reasons why your child has failed to learn reading skills at the same rate as most other children. Instead we offer short reports of factual information about your child's current levels of skill in the various key aspects of literacy. We will let you know which areas are a cause for concern and, perhaps, those that are not.

Even more importantly, since knowing what a child can currently do is the best indicator of what we should aim to teach next, we offer direct advice on what we can provide to help your child. This is by far the main focus of what we offer – what can be done to help the child learn literacy, and rapidly. So, if what you are really looking for is a label and/or lengthy discussion of the possible reasons why your child has failed to progress in literacy, you've come to the wrong place! But if you want advice on how to help your child make rapid progress in reading, then we can help you.

Finally, may I emphasise that the methods we will advocate to help your child to learn (rapidly) the key reading and related skills of literacy will involve (and will only involve) direct, systematic and intensive teaching and/or tutoring of these skills. We will not be suggesting the use of psychostimulant medication, optical training exercises, special lenses, 'new age treatments' or training exercises unrelated to reading. We believe that what low-progress readers need is good effective teaching and that is what we can best provide. It may not initially sound very exciting or novel, but we have unequivocal data to support the effectiveness of our methods.