Finding Structured Literacy PLD

Teachers
Written By Bronwyn Bayne

Last updated: 22 July 2024, to update for announcements of approved providers for Ministry-funded Structured Literacy PLD for Term 3.

Professional Learning and Development (PLD)

Overview

There are a range of ways you can upskill yourself or your staff based on the key findings from the body of research termed ‘The Science of Reading’ and then the evidence-based teaching approaches that seek to build on that "structured literacy. Here we set out:

  • what you need to think about before embarking on PLD for yourself or staff;

  • an update on Ministry-funded PLD (as of July 22, 2024);

  • details of longstanding providers and facilitators of Structured Literacy PLD that we have enough familiarity with to be confident that they have the depth of knowledge required to deliver quality Structured Literacy PLD in line with the IDA Knowledge and Practice Standards, and

  • other high-quality Structured Literacy self-study options, some of which are free.

Things to consider

There is a lot to learn, so don’t expect a one-day course to be enough. You will need to invest more time to acquire the knowledge and then put that into practice. Ongoing mentoring and instructional coaching from more experienced colleagues or external parties will also enhance the effectiveness of your investment in training.

We recommend all schools have at least one teacher engaged in a higher level of Structured Literacy training. They can then both teach T3 intervention and (or) lead literacy across the school. For these lead literacy teachers, we suggest that IDA Accredited Plus training or similar is required. This typically involves at least 5 days of intensive training plus a 12-month supervised practicum. Refer to our case studies for how this has worked well in schools that have had great success in shifting to a Structured Literacy approach.

Embedding a new pedagogy across the school can take between two and four years. This is a significant undertaking and we recommend that you have this as your sole focus for PLD over that time.

Embarking and implementing the change can be easier and more successful if done across a cluster of schools that can support each other. Is this something that your Kahui Ako could consider or a sub-set of schools? Can you involve your RTLit, RTLBs and LSCs in the change? There are examples of this successful collective approach from Wellington and Whangnui RTLB Clusters that you could learn from.

It’s vital that school principals and leaders also undergo some training. They need to understand the WHY and WHAT in particular and design processes and supports that incorporate regular check-ins on progress and ways of embedding and sustaining the change without the ongoing assistance of external coaches or PLD facilitators.

Further reading:

  • See this blog from Learning Matters on the essential elements to consider when developing, embedding, and ultimately sustaining and maintaining this approach in your school. They also include a handy implementation plan reflection matrix.

  • The change can feel daunting or even overwhelming at times, especially if you do not have the support of senior management in your school. This blog and self-reflection tool from Jocelyn Seamer are well worth a read. She provides some tips on creating a positive mindset and making small changes.

  • See this example from Whanganui RTLB Cluster and Wellington RTLB Cluster on supporting schools to implement structured literacy.

  • See our series of Case Studies of schools that are well progressed in implementing Structured Literacy.

  • You can also join one of the many teacher-structured Structured Literacy national or regional Facebook Groups; see our Initiatives Page for a list of these.

Public workshops, symposia or conferences

If you are interested in seeing what public PLD workshops, symposia, or conferences are on offer, check out our Events page. These are not Ministry funded. These are both in-person and online offerings and are mainly sourced from a range of Structured Literacy PLD providers operating in New Zealand, but some of them are international.

The Government priorities for PLD announced May 2, 2024

The Minister of Education announced $67 million in new funding for professional learning and development (PLD) and resources in structured teaching approaches over the next four years. The PLD will initially be available to year 0–3 teachers, beginning with those who have not yet had any training in structured teaching approaches. It will extend to year 4–6 teachers once the year 0–3 teacher cohort is covered.

There are two opportunities for schools to secure PLD for Year 0–3 teachers who have had no prior training.

  • Either from one of a selection of providers (see MOE website for list), or

  • from the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) run by the University of Canterbury.

So schools DO NOT have to do BSLA training. This might have been unclear to some schools. The timing of the two rounds of applications is staggered, with applications for BSLA PLD opening earlier, on May 6, and closing 30 May 30, with decisions communicated to schools by June 14. Then applications for the second round of other providers open on June 18 and close 1 July (for first cohort, commencing in Term 3, 2024)

Note that the other PLD providers and their facilitators (non-BSLA ones) went through a procurement process over June/July. They have to be already accredited PLD providers with the Ministry. A panel assessed them against a set of criteria that included them demonstrating a depth of expertise and understanding of the science and teaching practice behind a structured literacy approach for each facilitator.

All training for Cohort 1 is due to start in Term 3 and be concluded by the end of Term 1, 2025.

Applications for Cohort 2 will open in early September and commence in Term 4 and conclude by end of Term 2, 2025.

The process for PLD for 2025 is yet to be set out, as are a range of matters about PLD more generally, including:

  • Whether schools that have secured RAPLD for Structured Literacy from Term 1 can carry over that funding to 2025 if their PLD provider has no capacity to work with them this year due to need to provide PLD through this new funding option.

  • Details on how to apply for Structured Literacy resources (we don’t expect this will open till 2025).

We have asked for clarity on these matters from the Ministry of Education and will update this page as more information comes to hand.

Note that we do not expect the Ministry to reimburse schools that have previously funded Structured Literacy PLD out of their own Operational funds. That would be nice but is highly unlikely. You can take solace in knowing that you did right by your children and staff.

Flow chart to help Principals with Structured Literacy PLD decisions for terms 3 and 4

To understand the choices on PLD you need to make based on the May 2 announcement and subsequent announcements, we have created this decision flow chart for principals.

This is based on OUR understanding of the announcements made to date and we are sharing this post and the flow chart in good faith, but please check with the Ministry of Education if you have questions. Note it might appear small on screen when you click on link, so either zoom in or download and print.

Further reading:

Structured Literacy PLD providers and facilitators

This is not a definitive list of providers and facilitators. There are other providers and facilitators out there that could also deliver high quality Structured Literacy PLD. These are ones we are familiar with and we feel very confident that they have the depth and breadth of knowledge of structured literacy to deliver good-quality PLD in line with the IDA Knowledge and Practice Standards.

The Ministry has a list of approved providers to deliver PLD for schools and kura who have been approved to participate in PLD for structured literacy and te reo matatini approaches. The list includes the providers listed here and others the Ministry procurement process has deemed meet the necessary standard. Schools may still be contacted directly by other providers or curriculum resource sellers (not on the Ministry approved list) claiming to know and be able to deliver Structured Literacy PLD. So we encourage schools to do proper due diligence when considering their provider and facilitator options.

Don’t be fooled by slick marketing and superficial or partial descriptions of Structured Literacy. You need to test the depth and breadth of the knowledge of each of their proposed facilitators and ask them how they keep up to date with changes in the evidence-base. We also recommend speaking to others if you can about their experiences of different providers and facilitators.

Further information

Experienced Structured Literacy providers and facilitators

This list is limited to longstanding providers and facilitators of Structured Literacy PLD that we have enough familiarity with to be confident that they have the depth of knowledge required to deliver quality Structured Literacy PLD. We have reviewed the content of their trainings, reviewed their individual qualifications, attended some of their trainings and/or spoken to teachers and schools who have had PLD from them and who vouch for the high calibre of their knowledge and practice of Structured Literacy as defined by the IDA.

We have not personally reviewed the latest content or individual facilitator qualifications of other PLD providers, like the Better Start Literacy Approach offering from Canterbury University or the Literacy@Massey offering. Please see their websites for more details on what they offer.

Below, we provide a brief description of each provider/facilitator to give you an overview of their experience and offerings in delivering Structured Literacy professional learning and development.

Note that the Ministry talks about PLD Providers and Facilitators. Facilitators are individuals who come under an accredited Provider. For example, Liz Kane Literacy has four accredited facilitators under the Learning Adventures Provider.

Liz Kane Literacy (Provider: Learning Adventures). Launched in 2017, Liz Kane Literacy (PLD facilitators) is dedicated to bridging the gap between evidence-based research and the teaching of reading, spelling, and writing. Following an extensive career in teaching, Liz identified that there was a fundamental missing piece: evidenced-informed pedagogy based on the Sciences of Reading and Learning. This led her to learn about the principles of Structured Literacy and effective practice. She wrote 'The Code', a systematic approach to teaching spelling.

Liz Kane Literacy is the New Zealand distributor of the Little Learners Love Literacy Teaching Resources and the Pip and Tim, Wiz Kids and Big World non-fiction decodable texts.

Liz currently has three other Literacy Coaches working with her across Aotearoa. They provide in-school Professional Learning and Development with Teacher-only days and in-class coaching. They offer workshops in Structured Literacy, The Code, Little Learner Love Literacy, and Teacher Aide Literacy Support with workshops on Writing and Vocabulary coming soon.

Learning MATTERS (Provider: Learning Matters). As the mother of a child with learning differences and with experience as a former teacher and principal, Carla McNeil came to realise that some changes needed to be made. After spending years researching and undertaking professional development, she founded Learning MATTERS in 2016 with the primary focus of providing learning support to tamariki with literacy learning differences. Carla quickly realised that to make the biggest difference for our tamariki, change was needed within the mainstream classroom.

In 2020, Learning MATTERS developed and launched the iDeaL Approach for Schools, which includes an online platform that builds knowledge and provides tools for teachers to be able to effectively teach foundational literacy through a structured literacy approach. In addition, Learning MATTERS established a consulting arm to guide and enable schools with the implementation of the structured literacy approach supported by the iDeaL approach.

In early 2022, Learning MATTERS developed the iDeaL Specialist Platform, which provides professional development, assessments, and a resource platform for intervention specialists. This ensures that the intervention provided is evidence-based and aligned with what is happening in mainstream classrooms.

In 2023, Learning MATTERS launched the Learning MATTERS Intervention Teaching Certification (LMIT). Participants in the LMIT course are supported in learning and administering quality intervention assessment tools suitable for creating diagnostic education plans for use during evidence-based literacy instruction. This is a 12-month hybrid certification course that aligns with the IDA Knowledge and Practice Standards and includes an intensive 12-month practicum.

Learning Matters also has a contract to provide PLD through the Accelerating Learning in Literacy (ALL) initiative.

Literacy Connections (Provider: Learning Adventures). Literacy Connections was established in 2021 by Jo Jessep to provide Structured Literacy tuition. It soon expanded to include professional development to schools and teachers from around the South Island. Their team of facilitators is passionate about delivering highly engaging and practical workshops that address both sides of the reading rope. This is key so children can both decode and comprehend in their journey to be skilled readers. The team combine research and practical teaching skills so that teachers can bring structured literacy alive in their classrooms. Explicit instruction is modelled during the workshops and resources are provided so teachers can confidently teach structured literacy using their preferred scope and sequence.

Freedom Literacy (Provider: Learning Adventures). Janice Langford set up Freedom Literacy in Gisborne as a way to share the tools and strategies she has found to be highly effective in her work as a literacy educator. Her initial search for these effective strategies was both professionally and personally motivated as a literacy specialist and the mother of a dyslexic son.

Janice leverages her teaching and literacy intervention experience, in both Primary and Secondary sectors, in her professional practice. She has facilitated literacy professional learning and development for several years and is accredited to enable schools to access the Central PLD Fund. Janice empowers educators to grow in knowledge of the literacy evidence base and in wisdom of application.

Freedom Literacy is committed to being strongly evidence-based. Their pedagogy of literacy acquisition is based on an Orton-Gillingham and Structured Literacy evidence-based approach. They provide professional learning and development for educators that is responsive to your context.

Mahi by Mahi (Provider: Learning Adventures). Mahina-Selby Laws set up Mahi by Mahi in 2021 after many years teaching in Māori medium akomanga to share her matauranga in Hanganga Reo Matatini. Mahi facilitates akoranga, works in kura alongside Kaiako, and sells rauemi to help those who are wanting to teach through a Structured Literacy approach. She is an accredited facilitator with the Ministry of Education and travels around the country.

GEM Literacy (Provider: Learning Adventures). Gemma Maddocks is the founder of GEM Literacy. She is an experienced primary school teacher, leader and Tier 2 and 3 literacy intervention specialist who has taught in New Zealand, United Kingdom, Kuwait and China.

During her time as the Literacy Leader at Robertson Road School in Māngere (2017 - Present), it became clear that more and more ākonga across the school were struggling to read, write and spell. Gemma knew something was missing or something wasn’t working. This passion for equity, led Gemma to lead the implementation of a whole-school Structured Literacy approach underpinned by the Science of Reading and the Science of Learning.

Through GEM LITERACY, Gemma is also a South Auckland PLD facilitator who specialises in supporting educators from Year 1-8 who are committed to bridging the gap between the literacy and learning research, and effective classroom instruction. Gemma empowers teachers and schools in South Auckland through workshops and a supportive coaching model which is responsive to individual or whole-school needs. Gemma is committed to raising teacher knowledge and capability to ensure more equitable outcomes for all learners.

Sound Foundations for Literacy (Provider: Learning Adventures). Emma Nahna is a literacy-focused speech-language therapist with a passion for sharing learning with others. She runs a small private SLT and literacy practice in the King Country, develops teaching and learning resources, and works alongside schools and ECE centres to deliver professional learning around New Zealand.

Marianne Brown Literacy (Provider: Learning Adventures). Marianne Brown is Orton-Gillingham and Writing Revolution trained. She is currently Head of ESOL, Literacy Lead, Literacy Coach and a part time Tier 2 Reading Intervention teacher at Te Kura Tuatahi O Papaioea, Central Normal School in Palmerston North. Marianne is a passionate advocate for Structured Literacy and produces resources, as well as videos of her intervention teaching, to provide knowledge and encourage good evidence-based pedagogy. She works alongside schools wishing to implement Structured Literacy, runs workshops for teachers around the country and provides coaching for those wanting to refine their practice.

Courses: Paid

If you are looking for something more flexible or you just can’t get onto the books with a New Zealand-based PLD provider, these mainly online courses from reputable providers (mainly based overseas) are another option. There are also a few NZ-based options (in-person and on-line as well). These may be particularly relevant for those wishing to take on Literacy Lead roles or Literacy Intervention specialist teaching roles.

Learning MATTERS offer the Learning MATTERS Intervention Teaching Certification (LMIT). Participants in the LMIT course are supported in learning and administering quality intervention assessment tools suitable for creating diagnostic education plans for use during evidence-based literacy instruction. This is a 12-month hybrid certification course that aligns with the IDA Knowledge and Practice Standards and includes an intensive 12-month practicum.

Institute for Multisensory Structured Language Education (IMSLE). An Australian-based provider offering in-person courses in New Zealand. The Associate course (MSL) covers aspects of phonology and orthography (speech to print) for instruction and brings together education, linguistics, psychology and neuroscience. Successful completion of the Associate MSL course allows professionals to apply for accredited membership with the Australian Dyslexia Association (AMADA). The 12-month course includes a guided practicum. IMSLE diagnostic tests and data collection is included to assist educators in planning and monitoring student progress. The Associate course also includes relevant required readings to ensure that trainees are well informed in the areas of literacy, language, and dyslexia. The readings are research-based and have been updated for 2024 training.

La Trobe University's Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab offer a range of short online courses. NZ residents can enrol in these as domestic students. Founded in 2020 by Professor Pamela Snow and Associate Professor Tanya Serry,.

  • The Science of Language and Reading: An Introduction (6 hours, AUD$275).

  • The Science of Language and Reading, Intermediate (7.5 hours, AUD$440)

  • The Science of Language and Reading: The Secondary School Perspective (6 hours, AUD$330).

  • Masterclass: Developing Great Writing Skills (1.5 hours, AUD$99)

  • Improving Writing: The Science and Linguistics of Writing (6 hours, AUD$480)

  • The Science of Teaching Writing (6 hours, AUD$480)

  • The Science of Learning for Effective Teaching (10 hours, AUD$480)

Students can also go on to enrol in the Language and Literacy specialisation of the La Trobe Master of Education, or the newly created Graduate Certificate in Education (Language and Literacy).

You may also be interested in other La Trobe online Short Courses:

  • Trauma-Informed Education (6 hours, AUD440)

  • Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools (6 hours, AUD$440)

  • Teaching Autistic Students: A Neuro-Diversity-Affirming Approach (12 hours, AUD$480)

MultiLit is Based in Australia. MultiLit is a private company which was spun out of Macquarie University in 2006. It is led by Emeritus Professor Kevin Wheldall. They have developed numerous literacy programmes based on the science of reading and also provide a range of PLD both in person and through online modules. PLD also includes positive teaching and behaviour management system. The methods used are based on over 30 years of research undertaken by members of the MultiLit Research Unit. It is a continually evolving approach to literacy instruction, changing as more scientific evidence becomes available from either within the MultiLit research team per se or, more generally, from the international scientific reading research community.

The Academy for the Science of Instruction is to start in June 2024. An initiative of MultiLit that will provide in-depth training to school teachers in essential evidence-based teaching skills. Courses offered by The Academy will range from effective instruction in reading and spelling to classroom behaviour management.

The Reading League, based in USA. They are a not-for-profit advocacy group whose mission is to advance the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction. The Reading League’s Online Academy online classes, known as Knowledge Blocks, offer individuals and small teams the chance to choose their learning paths in evidence-aligned literacy instruction. These interactive, small-group learning sessions occur in a live virtual format, providing a unique opportunity to engage with our science of reading expert instructors and network with other participants. All courses are 2.5 hours in duration, live and cost $USD200. Courses include:

  • Foundations of the Science of Reading

  • Phonological Awareness: What, Why and How?

  • Phonic Knowledge: What, Why and How?

  • TRL 6-Step Lesson Plan for Decoding, Spelling and Fluency

  • Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words

  • Understanding Dyslexia

  • Assessing for Dyslexia

  • Building Oral Language to Boost Comprehension and Composition

  • Engaging with Vocabulary

  • The Simple View of Writing

  • Meaningful Morphology

  • Rethinking RTI: Where are we now?

LETRS: Voyager Sopris Learning. Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. Delivered over 8 units. USD$349 for 4 units or USD$627 for all 8 upfront. Includes 1-2 year licence. They also have options for Early Childhood Educators and Educational leaders and administrators.

SPELD NZ: New Zealand Certificate in Teaching Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities. 600 hours over Feb to November. Cost for 2025 TBC. Previously, it was $3,220. There is an in-person component. Not specifically a course on structured literacy but will cover elements of it. SPELD are also looking to offer smaller 6-hour modules in the future on different elements of structured literacy. So far (as at October 2023), they have one on phonics and Phonological Awareness. You may also be eligible for financial assistance.

Seabrook McKenzie Centre for Learning Disabilities, based in Christchurch. Offer a Certificate in Specialist Teaching of Konga/Individuals with SLD. (Cert.Tchg SLD). It is delivered face-to-face at their Centre in Christchurch. The course is in two modules: Module One: Introduction to SLD (300 hours, $1,000) and Module Two: Teaching Students with SLD (which includes the Structured Literacy approach to teaching literacy) (300 hours, $600). More details on course content are here.

The DLD Project. Based in Australia. They provide an online platform that distributes evidence-based information on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), resources and training created by contributors from around the globe. Some material is free.

Online courses: free

If your budget does not stretch to paid PLD, then these free courses are a great first step. The first one, by Cox Campus, is even accredited by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA).

Cox Campus: Free Online IDA-accredited structured literacy training. Various courses are on offer—around 25 hours of learning each. American based. Also provides free downloadable lesson planning templates, story guides, assessments, teaching aids, and much more.

The Literacy Hub: An Australian government funded organisation. Provides free, online professional learning to support schools through each step of building a Systematic Synthetic Phonics approach for reading and spelling. 

Designed for Year 0-3 classrooms, each topic includes: 

  • professional reading and videos 

  • practical classroom resources 

  • live sessions with our literacy specialists 

  • support to implement the approach in your school.

Follow the topics in numbered order, or select the ones that match your school's current progress towards SSP. Find your point of need on your SSP professional learning journey using this self-assessment diagram.

Reading Rockets (US-based) Launched in 2001, Reading Rockets provides free resources about teaching children to read and helping kids who struggle. On their website, you’ll find a hundreds of articles on teaching reading, classroom strategies, in-classroom video, parent tips in multiple languages, video interviews with top children’s book authors, a daily news service, and more. They also have a robust community on Facebook and YouTube.

Reading 101: A Guide to Teaching Reading and Writing — their self-paced course for pre-K to grade 3 teachers — presents the most vital information and strategies that teachers need to help students become skilled readers and writers.

The project has been guided by an advisory panel made up of leading researchers and experts in the field of reading.

Five from Five: Free Professional Learning Seminar Series. They are available either as scheduled webinars that anyone is welcome to attend or, when available, schools can book a presentation for whole staff professional learning either as a videoconference workshop or, depending on location and availability, in schools. The webinar series is repeated each term. This series of webinars will be recorded and made available to registered participants for two weeks following the live presentation. Five from Five was founded by Dr Jennifer Buckingham in 2016. They are based in Australia.

Better Start Literacy team (University of Canterbury) have a free online short course aimed at teachers and parents. The course content will be relevant for all young children, specifically focusing on the key foundational skills of phonological awareness, print concepts, and vocabulary knowledge for children aged 4-6 years.

Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

Sadly, in New Zealand, the majority of undergraduate and postgraduate Teaching qualifications have yet to incorporate evidence-based literacy theories and instructional practices and it is hard to get information from the universities on the content of their programmes. So the focus in New Zealand for a while yet will be on upskilling the thousands of in-service teachers.

Take a look at the results of a survey of teachers we ran at the end of 2021 of their experiences of literacy instruction in the teaching qualifications at NZ universities.

We would love to hear of ITE programmes that do incorporate the science of reading and structured literacy, so get in contact to let us know.

University Postgraduate courses

Some New Zealand universities offer postgraduate certificates, diplomas or Masters degrees with a specialisation in literacy that are evidence-based. Canterbury also offer a microcredential.

Massey University: Master of Education (Literacy Education) or Postgraduate Diploma (Literacy Education)

Waikato University: Postgraduate Diploma in Language and Literacy Education.

Canterbury University: Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate with Literacy Specialisation.

Better Start Literacy Approach, Canterbury University. This is an online microcredential course with some in-person sessions. Option to train as a facilitator as well as a course for teachers aides. Link to registration for course is here.

Bronwyn Bayne https://www.liftingliteracyaotearoa.org.nz
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