For 25 years, MultiLit has provided assistance to tens of thousands of students in a variety of settings.
This wouldn’t be possible without our talented, experienced and trained tutors.
Learn a little about one of our long-term tutors, Melissa Day.
Q: What do you like about your work?
Melissa: I’ve worked for MultiLit since 2013. I come from a teaching background in Early Childhood Education and studies in Linguistics, with many years’ experience working with children with special needs. I love what I do. I’ve always felt that working at MultiLit perfectly fits with the things which I’m passionate about — teaching children, reading with children, and encouraging children to feel great about themselves. I’m super committed to empowering young people and celebrating their success in learning to read, no matter how small each step or how long this may take. I really enjoy engaging with each student and their family – encouraging them on their children’s journey towards being a fluent reader and confident learner.
Q: Is there a particular area you specialise in?
Melissa: As I have a real heart for developing self-esteem in young people, Positive Teaching is a real focus for me. Key to this is acknowledging and appreciating effort and using positive strategies to encourage the struggling reader to keep trying — feeling successful breeds success. I also love getting to know my students and discovering and celebrating skills, talents, interests that they may have that are perhaps unrelated to their difficulties with literacy — that take them to their happy place where they feel most confident. It’s important to keep reminding children of all the things that they’re good at.
Q: How does improving literacy make a difference to learning and confidence?
Melissa: Literacy is such an integral skill affecting all aspects of learning and life. Improving literacy for a child is like opening a door to a new world of adventure, imagination and knowledge. It gives the child confidence in the classroom and also the skills to be an independent learner.
Q: What’s it like teaching face-to-face versus virtually?
Melissa: The online lesson option at MultiLit is invaluable. It helps us reach and teach students who are unable to come to the Centre or who live remotely. During COVID 19, MultiLit’s online lessons have been a lifeline for many families, where live tuition of any kind has been impossible. Our online program is robust, structured and user-friendly and our results show that the majority of our students are learning and improving in their literacy skills as they would be face-to-face. Undoubtedly, I always prefer face-to face teaching where possible, as it’s always fun getting to know students and working with them in person!
Q: What’s something you wish more people knew about literacy?
Melissa: It is a major life skill. It needs to be taught and practiced. Regular home reading with your child is such a positive use of time in so many ways and makes such a big difference! Literacy skills have an incredible impact on a child’s self-confidence and difficulties are best managed early in an evidence-based program like MultiLit.
Q: And something you wish more people knew about MultiLit?
Melissa: Research and results every day in our Centres show that MultiLit works! We have a great team. The tutors at MultiLit are passionate about what we do. We really care about the students we teach and families we are in partnership with and celebrate when they are doing their best and feeling successful.