About FIVE From FIVE
About the Five from Five Project
The FIVE from FIVE project was developed with the objective of promoting effective, evidence-based reading instruction, by providing free resources to teachers, principals and parents and advocating for evidence-based policy with politicians and policy makers.
Dr Jennifer Buckingham founded FIVE from FIVE in 2016 after completing her PhD research at Macquarie University. Her research was an experimental study of a reading intervention for struggling readers in a socioeconomically disadvantaged school.
It was started at The Centre for Independent Studies with the support of Macquarie Foundation, Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, Belalberi Foundation, Kate and Peter Mason (Phase 1 – 2016/17), Eureka Benevolent Fund and Paul Ramsay Foundation (Phase 2 – 2018).
FIVE from FIVE is now supported by MultiLit Pty Ltd as a community project to promote evidence-based reading instruction and improve literacy.
FIVE from FIVE alliance
The FIVE from FIVE alliance is a group of organisations that endorse our objectives and work with FIVE from FIVE in mutually beneficial partnerships.
Five from Five team
Dr Jennifer Buckingham FRSN is the Founder and Director of the Five from Five project. She is also Director of Strategy and Senior Research Fellow at MultiLit. Jennifer’s doctoral research was on effective literacy instruction for at-risk and struggling readers. Jennifer is a board member of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) and an affiliate member of the La Trobe University Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab. Jennifer provides advice to governments and ministers on literacy policy and curriculum, and acts as a ‘critical friend’ to numerous schools and systems in all sectors on a non-commercial basis. She frequently speaks at conferences and writes for academic publications and media.

Jodie Watson is Project Manager of the Five from Five Project and a member of the MultiLit School Partnerships team. Previously, she was Manager of MultiLit Literacy Centre programs for 4 years. Jodie has completed postgraduate study in Special Education at UTS and Gifted Education and is currently completing a Master of Education degree at UNSW. She is an educator of over 25 years. Jodie has worked in various roles in NSW schools including classroom teacher K-6 (public and private), learning support, gifted education and most recently as an Assistant Principal, supervising OC classes. Jodie has a strong interest and wealth of experience in creating positive and successful learning environments for all students.

