Aspiring to a 100% literate New Zealand, combining the art of teaching with the science of reading.
Thank you for visiting our website. We are an advocacy and teacher support not-for-profit formed in 2020 to promote the adoption of evidence-based teaching approaches. We lobby government for change; engage with the media to educate the general public on these issues; share information and resources to support teachers, parents and schools; and run sharing best practice events and webinars. Please follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn and sign up to receive our Newsletter.
What is Structured Literacy?
Want to understand the basics? The research behind Structured Literacy and the teaching practices that stem from that research?
We recommend listening or watching this podcast video for an easy to understand overview of Structured Literacy.
We also have an Explainer you can print on the ‘science of reading’ and ‘structured literacy’ and have curated a selection of resources we have found that do the best job of introducing people to the research and practice.
Access Support
Check out our range of supports on this website. The most popular include:
Why focus on literacy?
New Zealand has an entrenched literacy problem.
Poor adult literacy rates, low levels of literacy among prisoners, declining standing in international assessments, and the gap between top and bottom achievers amongst highest in the world.
Better literacy will have widespread benefits.
High levels of literacy are associated with better mental health, economic prosperity and civic participation.
The way we teach reading has a big part to play and can be changed.
Findings from cognitive science have not found their way into teacher training and practice. Quality evidence-based teaching is a leveller.
Our Mission
Our mission, since 2020, is to advocate for the adoption in schools of the Science of Reading and evidence informed literacy instruction - Structured Literacy - so that all NZ children reach their potential, become valued members of society and lead fulfilling lives.
Imagine a future where every child in New Zealand Aotearoa leaves school as a proficient reader and writer - having received the very best literacy instruction informed by the Science of Reading.
Imagine the bright future for those children and the benefits to our economy, democracy and communities that come from everyone in our society reaching a good level of literacy so that they can fully participate in society in a constructive and fulfilling way.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- Maya Angelou
In New Zealand, it is time for us to do better.
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