New Professional Learning and Development (PLD)

The Ministry of Education has approved our BSLA University of Canterbury team as a provider of Professional Learning and Development (PLD) in Structured Literacy Teaching for Years 0-8.

In person regional workshops in Term 2, 2025 will be offered in Whangārei, Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Alternatively, teachers can select to attend live and engaging online workshops. Workshops will be offered in the first 4 weeks of Term 2.

Our highly experienced team are looking forward to working with you.

Apply for Cohort 4 PLD funding with the Ministry of Education now via this link.

Enrolment to engage in our internationally leading PLD commencing in Term 2, 2025 will open from March 17th.

Our PLD Model

Our PLD is based on our success of the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA). We have streamlined our delivery model and developed exciting new PLD content in structured literacy teaching to support teachers implement Phases 1, 2 or 3 of the New Zealand Curriculum English Language Area (ELA). We offer our PLD over three school terms and can now accommodate new intakes of teachers each term.

Our PLD is uniquely designed for our New Zealand education and cultural context. It is based on the science of learning and incorporates all teaching principles that are referred to under the term ‘structured literacy teaching’. Our PLD content and delivery model is informed from robust research efficacy trials as to effective PLD outcomes.

Our PLD is set within an inclusive, strengths-based, and culturally responsive Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Framework. This framework aligns to MoE’s Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua inclusive framework. Our framework supports teachers to notice, recognise and respond to learners with literacy difficulties.

When enrolling in our PLD, teachers or roles with whole-school literacy responsibilities, will engage with foundational learning about structured literacy teaching and assessment practices. We ensure our communities of practice (COP) are aligned with your role in the school and therefore offer three options.

We invite you to select one of these options when you enrol with us. These are:

Option 1 – Class Teachers (Years 0-3) – Suitable for teachers working in Phase 1 of the ELA curriculum; year 0-3 learners.
Option 2 – Class Teachers (Years 4-8) – Suitable for teachers with learners in Phases 2 or 3 of the ELA curriculum; year 4-8 learners.
Option 3 – Literacy Leadership (Years 0-8)– Suitable for roles with responsibility for literacy leadership and literacy support within or across schools (e.g. RTLits, RTLBs, literacy leads, SENCOs, LSCs, APs, DPs or principals).

All options provide high quality PLD in structured literacy teaching and assessment practices but allow us to focus the communities of practice to better meet your needs. Those who choose the Literacy Leadership option will learn additional skills in supporting the sustainability of structured literacy teaching with high fidelity in their school and knowledge of how to notice, recognise and respond to learners with greater literacy learning needs.

The successful completion of the course will lead to a certificate of proficiency in structured literacy (15 points at postgraduate level, approved by the University of Canterbury). These points can be used to contribute towards other postgraduate study in a related field, i.e., Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Education, or a Masters of Education.

Our PLD Team

Professor Gail Gillon, Professor Brigid McNeill, international experts in key aspects of structured literacy teaching and Dr Amy Scott (expert in children’s oral language development) lead our highly experienced BSLA PLD team. We are fortunate to have Associate Professor Sally Clendon (Massey University) contribute her expertise in adapting structured literacy teaching practices for children with complex communication needs. We provide PLD based on latest research findings to support primary school teachers and literacy specialists implement structured literacy teaching with sustained high fidelity.

Meet our experienced team!

Evidence of effectiveness of our PLD

Through our successful delivery of the BSLA, we have gained unique insights into enhancing teachers’ knowledge, skills and teaching practices in ways that accelerate children’s literacy achievement. Our evidence from over 10,000 children across Aotearoa New Zealand is clear: On average, children who received BSLA teaching in their first year of school had significantly stronger reading, spelling and listening comprehension skills in Year 2 than children who received other types of literacy instruction in their first year at school.

We publish our data in scientific journals. Our data show that our PLD in structured literacy is effective in supporting teachers accelerate literacy learning in children from schools in higher and lower area of socio-economic deprivation, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Māori and Pacific learners, and children who are struggling in their foundation literacy skill development

Read our latest research

PLD Delivery Details

Within the first school term of delivery (starting Term 2, 2025), we will provide three full days of workshops and four communities of practice. We will provide a further four communities of practice over the next two school terms.

All participants enrolled in our PLD register for these workshops and communities of practice. We tailor PLD content and activities within our PLD sessions to accommodate differing areas of focus.

Our PLD model is a blended learning model. It involves opportunities for in-person regional workshops or online workshops. We provide online live support and collaboration via community of practice sessions. Our experienced regional PLD Educators support leaders and regional communities of practice. We also support teachers’ independent learning via high quality online course content.

Access to quality resources, lesson plans and assessments

During our structured literacy PLD course teachers will have access to our high quality online structured literacy teaching and assessment content. This includes lesson plans, teaching activities and access to an extensive range of high-quality video examples of structured literacy teaching within our New Zealand schools. Teachers will also have access to our BSLA assessment website, which includes a range of valid and reliable online structured literacy assessments that we have specifically designed for the New Zealand context. This website provides teachers with knowledge and skills in administering evidence based assessments to monitor the effectiveness of their structured literacy teaching.

We continue to advance our innovations in PLD and structured literacy teaching. Our latest development is a game-based app designed to support younger learners (5-8 years) acquire foundation phonic, phoneme awareness, word reading and spelling skills. Enrolment in our PLD provides teachers and literacy specialists with access to this latest innovation.

Structured Literacy Teaching Qualification

PLD Course Requirements

These requirements meet Ministry of Education criteria for funding and University of Canterbury qualification requirements.

All participants are required to:

Attend 3 days of workshops and 8 communities of practice over three school terms.
Complete 2 online learning quizzes (related to PLD course content).
Complete pre and post PLD survey related to linguistic knowledge, skills and confidence in teaching using structured literacy teaching strategies.
Demonstrate ability to notice, identify and respond to students with literacy learning challenges.

Classroom teachers (either Years 0-3 or 4-8) will also be required to:

Implement at least 10 weeks of structured literacy class teaching with high fidelity over three school terms.

School literacy leadership or literacy support roles (Years 0-8) will also be required to:

Implement structured literacy leadership support within or across schools.