Updated
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is calling on the states to sign up to a three-year intensive reading program for schools as a condition of her education funding plan.
The "reading blitz" program would cover more than 1 million students from kindergarten to year three.
Every school would have their own plan to improve reading and would be required to report student progress to parents.
"What this would do is take a system-wide approach for every child, every school," Ms Gillard said.
Ms Gillard says extra money would be given to schools from next year to help pay for the extra resources and staff training, but she will not say how much.
"We will make this reading blitz one of the aims of our school funding reforms," she said.
"As we've said consistently, we want to see more resources in schools but we want to make sure those resources are tied to a real agenda of change."
Deputy Greens leader Adam Bandt has told Insiders he wants the funding details of the full package.
Mr Bandt also says poorer schools should be prioritised for extra funding.
"If they're going to give it out in tranches and dribs and drabs, then we say give the first amount of money to the places that need it the most," he said.
"Because otherwise what will happen is that those disadvantaged publics schools will be held up while wealthy private schools that don't need the subsidies as much get their share and the Greens don't think that's fair.
"If the Government turned around tomorrow and said 'we are willing to raise the revenue that is needed to fund Gonski immediately', we'd think that was fantastic."
Mr Bandt says the Greens do support the Gonski reforms, but want them in place sooner rather than later.
"We support public schools, and we want to make sure that money gets to public schools," he said.
"And we've given the Government a commitment that we want to see this legislation get through as quickly as possible.
"What we're worried about, like all of these promises, is how much money is really going to start flowing?"
Today's announcement is part of the Government's Gonski plan for education reform.
Under that plan, each school would receive funding based on how many students are enrolled, with extra loadings for educational disadvantage, including students with poor English skills, disabilities or geographical distance.
Legislation was introduced into Parliament last year to begin the implementation process, although it lacked any significant detail on how the changes would be implemented or paid for.
The lack of detail has frustrated some states and territories, who say they need more information before signing on.
Topics: schools, education, primary-schools, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
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