Be inspired by others. Share your story with us. Learn more.
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
Explicit teaching of literacy must not be buried in CPM
Our initial reaction to release of Common Practice Model by Ministry of Education.
Office of Auditor General probing MoE
Give your feedback to the Office of the Auditor-General on how the Ministry of Education uses information to understand and address inequities in education.
Principal calls for Govt to scrap Reading Recovery
New data out from the Ministry of Education NZ showing a further drop in the number of schools participating in Reading Recovery - a failed literacy intervention.
Reading Recovery refresh - not good enough
Professor James Chapman on why the Reading Recovery refresh is not good enough.
Minister ill-informed, Strategy hollow
Read our press release on the Minister’s new Literacy Strategy released 25 March 2022
We write to the Māori Affairs Select Committee
Read our submission to the Inquiry on ākonga Māori learning support
Reaction to Select Committee report by Prof James Chapman
In this blog post, Professor Emeritus, James Chapman, provides his response to the Report of the Education and Workforce Committee on the Petition of Amanda Drumm: Teach reading in school through explicit and systematic phonics.
Holding feet to the fire
We recap over advocacy efforts over the year, including a link to our latest letter to the Associate Minister for Education setting out five key areas that need to be addressed in the Literacy Strategy. We also provide the first iteration of our ‘Report Card’ of the Government’s progress on permanently and efficiently lifting literacy for all.
Structured Literacy is an Equalizer for ESOL Students
Find out how structured literacy is an equalizer for students for whom English is not their primary home language.
Funding Your Structured Literacy Journey
To implement a structured literacy approach well there are many elements that are going to have to be funded. So how much is this going to cost and how can you fund this? In this blog post we give a high level overview of the costs you need to consider and how you might go about funding those.
Features of Good Educational Research
In this blog, Professor Emeritus James Chapman sets out the features of good educational research to help you sift the wheat from the chaff when reviewing the findings and claims made in different studies.
Reading is Fundamental to Success in Maths Too
Find out more about the similarities between what we are advocating for with literacy education and what The Royal Society Te Apārangi is advocating for mathematics and statistics education.
Helping to Better Understand Poor Attendance and Engagement
Read about the findings from our survey of parents and teachers to feed into Select Committee Inquiry on School Attendance and Engagement.
Free Evidence-Based Resources
Looking for free evidence-based resources to use at home or in the classroom? Check out our list.
My Aha! Moment as a Literacy Intervention Teacher
Marianne Brown is a Tier 2 Reading Intervention teacher at Central Normal School. Five years ago, she made the change to structured literacy and writes about her journey here.
The Claimed Success of Reading Recovery is Based Largely on a Myth
Around $26 million of taxpayer funding is spent on Reading Recovery every year. So is this money well spent or are we still holding onto one of the biggest myths in New Zealand education? James Chapman, Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at Massey University argues for the latter. Find out why in our latest blog.
Knowledge is Power
Pou Bex Street from Whakarongo School in Palmerston North shares her reflections on using a structured literacy approach over the past year.
Abandon our Literacy Myth
James Chapman, Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at Massey University gives us a potted history of literacy teaching in NZ over the past 40 years to explain how we have ended up in the situation we find ourselves today, adhering to myth and not evidence.
MPs Urged Not to Leave Change to Chance
Read what we said to MPs about reading instruction in NZ and what they can do to help.