About AVAILLL/Frequently Asked Questions

The AVAILLL program is designed to be beneficial and enjoyable for the entire class. The program successfully reaches a wide range of students with various reading levels due to the powerful visual and audio support experienced by students as they ReadWatch® movies during the program. Students then learn to use their own imagery and apply these skills to various types of text.

The program serves as five supplementary six week units and is contained within five manuals plus an introduction/training guide. Each of the manuals in Parts One to Five consist of thirty activities which last under an hour. The manuals are scripted, requiring a minimum of teacher preparation and allowing higher level readers to help run the program. This supports student self-management in the classroom.

This cost-effective program has a successful trend with students nine years and older - especially with those who are reading below grade level or are having reading problems. Research has also proven it effective with ESL/ELL students and special education students. In experiencing AVAILLL, a majority of students effortlessly improve their skills for reading books which then contribute to the school's overall improvement in reading levels.

* The intellectual property rights of the unique AVAILLL methodology are legally protected.

Why is the program effective?

AVAILLL's goals are to increase student's abilities in comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and attitudes toward reading. The research based effectiveness of the program is due to several reasons including:

Cognitive abilities which students have been building most of their lives with popular visual media are applied to reading. Students then use their strengths to bring up their weaknesses. This evidence supports the dual-coding theory of reading which suggests that when good readers read, there is an interaction between visual and auditory modes.
The process is extremely appealing, enjoyable and natural. Subtitles are often unappealing at first but the program helps students develop an enjoyment for subtitles and for applying these skills to ReadWatching books. AVAILLL elicits so much student "buy in" that students have often asked teachers if they would teach the program during lunchtime. By choice, students often use the techniques at home. With AVAILLL, students' motivation taps their latent reading potential.
Students are highly focused on ReadWatching movies and related books for long periods of time which increases their crucial, "reading mileage" and sustainability. Students and families often comment on how many more books the students are reading and how their academic skills have increased.

Please note: because of its innovative nature, it is the actual experience of AVAILLL in the classroom which manifests its positive and dramatic effects on reading achievement.

Is AVAILLL only about watching movies with subtitles?

The AVAILLL Program doubles the effect of simply watching movies with subtitles. A preliminary research study revealed that the thirty interactive literacy lessons in the AVAILLL program made a significant difference in students' reading comprehension abilities when compared to students who only watched subtitled movies for an equal amount of time. It appears that the specific literacy activities in the program which are facilitated by the teacher, make a dramatic difference. (See Research page for details.)

What comprises the program?

Manuals
The five AVAILLL manuals are easy to use and are intended to create less work for teachers in the classroom. The day by day progressive activities offer a variety of fun and very effective literacy activities for students. Two thirds of the program involve explicit literacy activities with text and one third with ReadWatching popular movies. More than 80% of the time, students are engaged in highly focused reading!

Each scripted activity is simple and thoroughly prepared eliminating much teacher preparation. For example, within many activities teachers or their student assistants are provided with what is called an ETG or Exact Timing Guide, which indicates the exact moment at which to stop and start a movie for the activity at hand. .
Teacher/Educator Training
The Introduction and Training Guide provides educators with essential introductory experiences with the techniques, classroom management features and background information regarding theory and previous literacy research relating to the program. The guide may be used individually by teachers or in professional development groups on site at the school.
Assessment and Evaluation of Students
Included in the program are two activities for pre and post testing which provides teachers, students, administrators and families clear and immediate assessment of the reading gains for individual students, subgroups and the class as a whole.

How was AVAILLL developed and what is its vision?

The AVAILLL program was developed by Dr. Alice Killackey, a classroom teacher, assistant professor and teacher trainer in Education. When Dr. Killackey returned to teach in a public school classroom in 2001, she was impressed with the student's comprehension of video yet found their reading abilities tragic. She was inspired to try to use the students' strengths in video to bring up their weaknesses in reading. Thirty activities were created, tested and re-tested with dramatic experimental results. In 2006, the program's data results were taken for research and development in New Zealand, as it is one of the most respected countries in the world for literacy education and research. Again the research results were dramatic which launched dissemination to New Zealand schools in 2008. The program is now available to schools, students and teachers internationally.

The ultimate goal of the AVAILLL institute is for as many students as possible to enjoy the educational benefits which subtitled media can bring to reading and learning in their lives. The vision of the AVAILLL Institute, then, is to research and develop the innovative methodology into areas of Literacy, Language and Learning...and so, the three L's.

Frequently Asked Questions

What classes is AVAILLL suitable for?

AVAILLL Parts One and Two are for Years Seven and Eight respectively. Part Three will be for Year Nine, Part Four for Year Ten and Part Five for Year Six. As subtitle reading is part of the exercise, it is necessary for children to be reading at least at an 8.5 year old level. The few children reading below this level can be supported by other students

Is it a withdrawal programme?

Up to and including Year 8 it is a whole class programme with no one excluded. In Years nine and ten it will be more suitable for those pupils struggling with literacy e.g those in learning support classes.

Do AVAILLL lessons occur daily?

Yes. The units are 30 x 1 hour lessons with each lesson building on the one before. The maximum benefit is obtained when the intensity is maintained over the six week period.

Should I withdraw the low and high achieving pupils?

No. The research has shown that both groups will benefit if the instructions are followed carefully. This is a whole class programme up to Year 8.

How long does it take to do AVAILLL?

Each Part is taught over six weeks in daily one hour lessons. Occasionally school timetabling will mean that a lesson is missed. This can be made up with two lessons in one day or by extending into a seventh week.

Can I change the order of the lessons?

It is strongly recommended that you keep strictly to the order of the lessons as indicated in the manuals.

What is the difference between the original (Blue Cover) AVAILLL and the revised edition (Green Cover).

The original AVAILLL uses Region One DVD’s (USA and Canada, US territories and Bermuda) while the revised edition uses Region 4 DVD’s (New Zealand and Australia, plus Mexico, Central and South America) and both work equally well. The revised edition was made to make the purchase and playing of DVD’s in Australasia easier and less expensive.

Can I use DVDs from other regions but with the same title?

The length of play and the subtitles differ from Region to Region. The revised edition contains many changes in both the timing guides and the sub-titles chosen. The correct Region DVD must be used with each version of the manuals. All AVAILLL manuals sold in Australasia from September 2009 are for Region Four unless the purchaser specifically orders the original edition that uses Region One. Manuals sold outside Australasia use Region One.

Does AVAILLL include the DVDs?

No. The DVD’s can be purchased online or at a local retailer. Often they can be found in the ‘bargain bins’ at substantially reduced prices.

Do children work in ability groups?

No. This is a change from the way many classes are taught reading and teachers and students find it a refreshing difference. Students can be seated strategically to support one another. In addition, many of the activities are done in teams where the abilities of all are utilised.

As a teacher, what training do I need to do in order to implement AVAILLL in the classroom?

Either: Attend an AVAILLL workshop
Or: Train yourself by using the Introduction and Training g\Guide. If using this option it is vital that you follow the guide meticulously and experience all the features in it.

Who can use AVAILLL?

AVAILLL can be done in a school classroom or in a private home. Copyright issues mean that it is not suitable for private learning business to use it.

What tests do I use for pre and post tests?

All schools have tests that are suitable. We suggest that they be standardised e.g. P.A.T. Comprehension, Vocabulary; STAR; AsTTLe; Neale

How does AVAILLL improve reading ability?

AVAILLL explicitly develops skills in the areas of Comprehension, Vocabulary and Fluency. Decoding skills are not taught explicitly, however, because there is so much text reading, students do learn more implicitly about how words work.

Do the students watch DVD’s every day?

No. Some days the students do lessons that are related to previous ones where a DVD was watched.

What equipment do I need to show the DVD’s?

The best set-up is with a projector and a screen in a darkened room. The DVD can be run through a laptop or a DVD player however we strongly recommend the latter as it can be easier to operate the controls.

Help!! I’m technophobic and really unsure about my ability to operate the gear required!

No worries. At least one (if not all!) of your students will know what to do. After the first DVD a special feature of AVAILLL starts because Students Assistants then operate the electrical gear.

The student assistants are the top readers in your class.

Presently for New Zealand schools we recommend that Part One be used for year Seven and Part Two for year Eight. Under development during 2010 are THREE NEW PARTS that will be suitable for Year Six Nine and Ten.

The timeline for these manuals is:

Year Nine manual: April
Year Ten manual: July
Year Six: September