Hello Learners offers a structured literacy program in Melbourne for primary-school children who are finding reading, spelling, or writing hard. Based in North Melbourne, our program is grounded in the science of reading and led by a paediatric speech pathologist. No referral needed to get started.
Structured literacy is an approach that teaches the connections between sounds and letters explicitly, systematically and cumulatively — building from simple to complex, and engaging multiple senses to reinforce learning. It's the approach with the strongest evidence base for teaching children with dyslexia and reading difficulty to read.
Orton-Gillingham is one well-known structured-literacy framework; "multisensory structured language" (MSL) describes the multisensory methods used within these approaches. Our program is delivered as structured literacy, informed by the principles of Orton-Gillingham and MSL — this is the same reading intervention approach that the science of reading consistently points to as the gold standard for children who find reading hard.
Skills are taught directly — nothing is left for a child to infer or discover on their own. Each concept is explained, modelled, and practised before the next is introduced.
Sounds, letters, and spelling rules are introduced in a carefully planned sequence — simple to complex, building on what's already been learned. No gaps, no guesswork.
Seeing, saying, hearing, and doing — engaging multiple senses helps the brain form stronger, more lasting connections between sounds and their written symbols.
Decades of reading research — often called the science of reading — consistently show that explicit, systematic phonics instruction produces the strongest gains for children who find reading hard.
This is not a new idea or a passing trend. It's the convergence of evidence from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and classroom research over many years. The science of reading tells us clearly that children's brains are not wired to read naturally — reading must be taught, and it must be taught with the right tools.
With the right structured support, children can make real, measurable gains in reading and spelling. Earlier support tends to produce stronger outcomes — but it's never too late.
Brain imaging research has shown that structured literacy instruction actually changes the neural pathways children use when reading — it's not just improved performance, it's measurable change in how the brain works.
Structured literacy is specifically the reading intervention approach that research consistently identifies as most effective for children with dyslexia — not a workaround, but the approach the evidence points to.
With consistent structured support, children make genuine progress in reading accuracy, fluency, and spelling. We track progress throughout the program so you can see the gains clearly.
Hello Learners runs as an after-school structured literacy program, based at our North Melbourne clinic. Groups are kept to 3–5 children, carefully matched by level, and sessions run in 10-week terms. Our curriculum is built across 7 levels — from foundational phoneme awareness through to complex spelling patterns and reading fluency — so every child works at the right starting point and progresses from there.
For a full breakdown of how the program is structured — levels, session format, what to expect term by term — visit our Programs page.
Genuinely small. Children are matched by level so the group moves together, each child receives real attention, and sessions feel purposeful — not like whole-class learning in miniature.
Our structured curriculum progresses across 7 levels — from foundational phoneme awareness to complex spelling and fluency. Every child starts where they are and builds from there.
Programs run across 10-week terms, after school, so they fit around the school day. Consistency term to term is how children build the cumulative skills that structured literacy depends on.
Every session is led by a paediatric speech pathologist — not an unsupervised aide. Learn more about what we do and who we are.
Want the full picture? The Programs page walks through each level, what a typical session looks like, and how to find the right starting point for your child.
Our clinic is based in North Melbourne. We're well-placed for families across Melbourne's inner west and inner north — many families make the trip from further afield because specialist, speech-pathology-led structured literacy support is worth travelling for.
We regularly welcome families from:
Don't see your suburb? Get in touch — if we're not the right fit, we'll do our best to point you in the right direction.
If you would like to discuss whether Hello Learners is a suitable program for your child, please book a fifteen-minute conversation by phone with one of our speech pathologists. There is no fee for this conversation, and no obligation to enrol.
Term 3 spots are limited.
Or write to us at admin@hellokidstherapyhub.com.au.