R2L is a set of strategies that enable teachers to support all students in their classes to read and write at the levels they need to succeed. It has been in development globally since the early 2000s at all stages of education. R2L responses to the growing and urgent needs of marginalised learners and can rapidly improve reading and writing for educational access and success.

Early years

R2L supports all children aged 4-6 to become independent readers and to write successful texts. Using illustrated story books, teachers use R2L to improve skills such as comprehension, word recognition, spelling, letter formation, sentence construction and story writing. Because these skills are learnt in the meaningful, engaging context of shared reading books, children can acquire them much faster than through only using standalone alphabet, phonics and sight word drills.

Primary years

For children aged 7-12, R2L is designed to engage them in reading and writing stories for pleasure, factual texts and to evaluate texts, issues and points of view. Teachers select and use texts in the subject areas that the class is studying to teach skills in reading and writing, at the same time as learning the content of each subject area. R2L enables all students to read and write texts at the same high level, rather then giving them texts at different ‘ability levels’. This ensures all students are ready to succeed in secondary school.

Secondary years

Those aged 13-18 are supported by R2L to learn the content of each curriculum area through reading and writing. Teachers use the texts that students are expected to read in each subject area, to guide them to learn through reading, and to demonstrate what they learnt through writing. R2L enables teachers to balance the curriculum demands for ‘covering the content’, with teaching essential skills that students need to read and write independently. R2L ensures that all students are well prepared for further education, work and life in general.

At home

R2L can be used by caregivers to support their children become independent readers and to write texts successfully. Just like in the early years classroom, caregivers can use illustrated story books to improve skills such as comprehension, word recognition,  letter formation, sentence construction. As the child grows, caregivers can use more complex texts and support their child’s developing understanding of concepts such as inference, perspective and audience.