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We want to hear about your journey in discovering the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy. Your a-ha! moments, your triumphs and your challenges. Whether you are a parent, teacher, student, grandparent, or employer. So write us something (300-500 words) or send us a short video clip and we’ll add it here on this page.
Blog Index
2024
Our feedback to Ministry on literacy supports LLA
Pending announcement on Tier 2 & 3 Literacy Supports LLA
We need the best for our most vulnerable children, and it is not Reading Recovery LLA
We must set our teachers up for success Leslee Allen
Job cuts and getting PLD right LLA
Allaying fears over mandate LLA
Knowledge Building Leslee Allen
Assessing ‘evidence-based’ claims LLA
Looking back to look forward LLA
2023
Our Literacy Policy White Paper LLA
LLA Post-Election Advocacy Update LLA
No child should be left out in the cold on literacy LLA
A Unique Chance For All Parties To Do What’s Right for Learners LLA
Quarter (25%) of NZ schools using Structured Literacy approach LLA
‘And + And’ rebrand won’t hide stale practice Emeritus Professor James Chapman and LLA
Rhetoric of Minister and behaviour of Ministry and ITE at odds LLA
Initial Teacher Training - the elephant in the room LLA
Lowering standards is not the answer to literacy crisis LLA
No need for political football LLA
An expert take on the literacy news this week LLA
Explicit teaching of literacy must not be buried in CPM LLA
We support the teacher strikes LLA
Office of Auditor General probing MoE LLA
2022
Principal calls for Govt to scrap Reading Recovery LLA
Reading Recovery refresh - not good enough LLA
Minister ill-informed, Strategy hollow LLA
2021
We write to Māori Affairs Select Committee LLA
Reaction to Select Committee Report Emeritus Professor James Chapman
Holding Feet to the Fire LLA
Structured Literacy is an Equalizer for ESOL Students Marianne Brown
Funding Your Structured Literacy Journey LLA
Features of good education research Emeritus Professor James Chapman
Reading is fundamental to success in Maths too LLA
Helping to better understand poor attendance and engagement LLA
Free evidence-based resources LLA
My Aha! Moment as a Literacy Intervention Teacher Marianne Brown
The Claimed Success of Reading Recovery is Based Largely on a Myth Emeritus Professor James Chapman
Knowledge is Power Bex Street, Whakarongo School, Palmerston North
Abandon our Literacy Myth Emeritus Professor James Chapman
MPs urged not to leave change to chance LLA
Phonics Fanatics? Definitely not! LLA
Helping ESOL learners - Rosemary’s story Robertson Road School, Auckland
- Accreditation
- Achievements
- Advocacy
- Assessment
- Attendance
- Bipartisanship
- Common Practice Model
- Election
- Engagement
- ESOL
- Evaluating evidence
- Evidence-based approach
- Funding
- IDA
- Inequities in education
- Instructional Coaching
- Intervention support
- ITE
- James Chapman
- Job Cuts
- Knowledge Building
- Leadership
- Learning Support
- Leslee Allen
- Lifting Literacy Aotearoa
- Literacy Block
- Literacy Policy
- Literacy Strategy
- LLA survey
- Massey Early Literacy Project
- Maths
- Ministry of Education
- MTSS
- NCEA
- OAG
- Personal story
- Petition
- Pillars of Literacy
- Play-based learning
- PLD
- Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines
- Reading Recovery
- Red flags
- Review
- Science of Reading
- Select Committee
- Structured Literacy definition
- Structured Literacy Mandate
- Structured Literacy uptake
- Stuart McNaughton
- Support for parents
- Teacher Autonomy
- Teachers Strike
- Time
- Whitepaper
- ākonga Māori
We must set our teachers up for success
A teaching principal’s take on the Government announcement on rollout of structured literacy training, urging that teachers be given more time to digest the science and come on board.
Job cuts and getting PLD right
Two pieces of news came through recently from the Ministry of Education. The first was changes to priorities for Regionally-Allocated PLD and the second was the job cuts at the Ministry. We are sitting on the fence as to whether these developments help allay fears in the sector on the structured literacy mandate, or add to them. The focus should be on replacing the top brass at the Ministry and taking the time to get the rollout of PLD on structured literacy to the sector right. Read our views on both these issues in this blog post.
Allaying fears over mandate
We suggest there are many positive signs that the implementation of the Structured Literacy mandate will be done well; based on the best available evidence of what we know works, acknowledgement of the things we don’t know, and in a pragmatic and common-sense way that is able to flex as new information and evidence comes to hand.
Our Literacy Policy White Paper
Read our Draft Literacy Policy White Paper and send us a submission by 17 February 2024.
Quarter (25%) of NZ schools using Structured Literacy approach
As part of our advocacy work, we have collected and present here, information from schools across Aotearoa New Zealand on their implementation of a structured literacy approach.
