The research locus and conceptual basis for MULTILIT: Why we do what we do
Louise A. Ellis, Kevin Wheldall and Robyn Beaman
Macquarie University

Abstract
MULTILIT is predicated upon contemporary, evidence-based best practice and research-based models for effective instruction of reading and related skills for low-progress readers. The conceptual foundations and operating principles of MULTILIT are described in Wheldall and Beaman (2000), while three government funded reports from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have reviewed the effectiveness of different approaches to the teaching of reading. This paper draws on these resources to explain ‘why we do what we do’ in MULTILIT instructional programs, showing how MULTILIT relates to, and is consistent with, international research and best practice in this area.

This paper was presented as part of the Symposium on ‘The work of the MULTILIT Research Unit’ at the Annual Conference of the Learning Difficulties Australia, Melbourne, 18 August, 2006.