Cohort 4 - choose BSLA as your PLD provider
Registration is now open for Tier 2 Targeted and Tier 3 Tailored structured literacy PLD for Cohort 4
PLD Delivery Details
Our blended delivery model offers high-quality professional learning across four school terms, combining interactive workshops, Communities of Practice, and individualised coaching and mentoring to ensure meaningful and sustained impact.
Workshop dates 2025
Auckland: 10-11 November at the Cordis Hotel
Christchurch: 19-20 November at the Novotel Christchurch Airport Hotel. This workshop will be livestreamed and recorded.
Wellington: 27-28 November at the James Cook Hotel
Workshop dates 2026
Christchurch: 12-13 March at the Novotel Christchurch Airport Hotel. This workshop will be livestreamed and recorded.
Wellington: 19-20 March at the James Cook Hotel
Auckland: 26-27 March at the Cordis Hotel
The workshops are designed in line with best practices for effective PLD. These engaging, hands-on sessions provide participants with the opportunity to work directly with our expert team, strengthening both knowledge and practical application in supporting Tier 2 and Tier 3 learners to achieve literacy success.
Throughout the programme, coaching and mentoring offer tailored guidance and feedback to help educators refine and enhance their teaching practice. Our experienced facilitators provide ongoing support to ensure confident, evidence-based implementation of structured literacy strategies.
Our PLD Model
Our PLD builds on the proven success of the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA), supporting educators to deliver structured literacy effectively at all tiers—Tier 1 (universal classroom instruction), as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 (targeted small-group and individualised support). Our model empowers teachers and literacy specialists to implement evidence-based interventions that accelerate progress for learners who are experiencing literacy challenges.
Uniquely designed for Aotearoa New Zealand’s educational and cultural context, the PLD is grounded in the science of learning and integrates the core principles of structured literacy. Its design and delivery are underpinned by robust research, ensuring practical relevance and measurable impact in the classroom.
The approach is embedded within an inclusive, strengths-based, and culturally responsive Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), aligned with the Ministry of Education’s Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua framework. This enables educators to notice, recognise, and respond effectively to the diverse needs of learners with literacy difficulties.
Our Tier 2 (Targeted) and Tier 3 (Tailored) structured literacy PLD includes five full-day workshops and eight Community of Practice sessions, delivered over a 12-month period to support sustained implementation and ongoing professional growth.
Quality Resources, Lesson Plans and Assessments
Enrol in our Structured Literacy PLD course and gain full access to a comprehensive suite of expertly crafted teaching and assessment tools — everything you need to deliver evidence-based literacy instruction with confidence.
What’s included:
Step-by-Step Lesson Plans & Teaching Resources
Simplify implementation with clear, practical lesson plans and accompanying resources that save time and support consistent, high-quality delivery.Engaging, Skill-Building Activities
Accelerate student progress with interactive activities designed to build essential foundational skills for effective word reading — all while keeping learners motivated and engaged.Extensive Video Library of Real Classroom Practice
Learn from the best with high-quality video exemplars showcasing structured literacy in action in New Zealand classrooms.Exclusive Access to the BSLA Online Assessment Platform
Use valid, reliable, and easy-to-administer literacy assessments, purpose-built for the New Zealand context, to inform and strengthen your teaching.Game-Based Learning App for Young Learners
Support students aged 5–8 with our newly developed app, designed to make learning phonics, phoneme awareness, word reading, and spelling both effective and fun.
These powerful resources are designed to help educators confidently deliver tailored instruction, particularly for Tier 2 and Tier 3 learners, while ensuring that every teaching moment is backed by evidence and best practice.
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.
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.
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.
Structured Literacy Teaching Qualification
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.
