Blog

Back to Blog

Learning, Memory and Creativity: Insights from Dr Nathaniel Swain

At the Teaching Matters Summit in Hobart, Dr Nathaniel Swain’s keynote was an absolute standout. It was insightful, energising and full of practical wisdom about how learning and memory work. Nathaniel began by revisiting Sir Ken Robinson’s famous claim that schools kill creativity. He explained why that argument is not supported by evidence. Rather than stifling imagination, explicit teaching lays the groundwork for it. When students master the basics through clear, well sequenced inst...

Teaching Matters Summit Australia: Bold change, and celebrating real classrooms

It was great to attend the Teaching Matters Summit in Hobart and to see a small Kiwi contingent there. As we continue to move forward with Structured Literacy and broader reform here in Aotearoa, I have developed a genuine passion for all things reform. I enjoy going deep in my own learning about what truly successful and impactful change takes.   ...

Instructional Routines and Scripting of Lessons: Friend or Foe?

For many years, myself included, we have known what to teach. The curriculum sets that out clearly. The real challenge, where the rubber hits the road, is how we teach it. Each time a curriculum change arrives, and there have been many, teachers are left asking: How do I teach this? What do I say, and when? How do I keep students actively involved? How do I notice, respond, and adjust in the moment, while still keeping the lesson on track? It is a lot to hold in mind. Instructional routines...

Cultivating the Literacy Landscape Symposium: Keynote Insights

At this year’s Cultivating the Literacy Landscape Symposium, four outstanding keynote speakers challenged, provoked, and inspired us to think deeply about what it takes to lift literacy outcomes across Aotearoa. From Mississippi’s remarkable progress, to the call for clarity and cohesion in schools, to the urgency of knowledge-building, and the role of explicit instruction, each keynote left us with powerful lessons and a renewed sense of purpose. ...

Unlocking the Reading Circuit: Transforming Literacy Instruction for Every Learner

As educators, we often hear about the science of the reading brain. Many of us are well-versed in the foundational knowledge of how reading circuits work, but understanding the science is only the first step. The real challenge—and opportunity—lies in reflecting on how we apply this knowledge in our classrooms and intervention settings. In a recent conversation with Dr Maryanne Wolf, I was reminded of the incredible potential we hold as educators to shape young minds. Her insights chall...

Dyslexia Awareness Month: Learning, Leading, and Uniting for Literacy

As Dyslexia Awareness Month draws to a close, I reflect on a journey driven by learning, commitment, and the shared goal of literacy for all. Our dedication to dyslexia and literacy awareness pushes us to learn from leading researchers, practitioners, and advocates worldwide, bringing these insights home to consider how we continue to empower every child’s path to literacy. ...

Moving Beyond Tier 1 | Ensuring Effective Support Across All Tiers in Structured Literacy

With the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) mandate for Structured Literacy taking effect in 2025, literacy education in New Zealand is evolving. This is such an exciting step forward, as it means teachers in Years 0–8 can receive funded professional learning development (PLD) for teaching Structured Literacy. However, there is still much to learn and implement, especially for those supporting our most vulnerable learners in Tiers 2 and 3.  Structured Literacy – diagnostic, systematic...

Turning Challenge into Change: A Journey of Literacy Advocacy

"I am so sorry, but he has no potential to learn." These words are etched into my memory like a scar. My son was just seven when he was assessed at the Child Development Centre of our local hospital, and those were the words delivered to me at the end of it. I couldn’t believe it. I remember sitting there, stunned. How could anyone look at my little boy and say that? Like any mother, I knew my son. I knew the challenges he faced, but I also knew his limitless potential. There was no way I...

Key Insights from the 2024 Literacy Symposia: A Day of Neuroscience, Strategic Leadership, and ‘Archerisms’

The recent Literacy Symposium in Wellington and Auckland brought together educators from across Aotearoa New Zealand to explore effective literacy teaching practices. Keynote speakers Dr Carolyn Strom, Sarah Asome, and Dr Anita Archer shared their expertise on structured literacy and evidence-based teaching. The event highlighted literacy’s crucial role in society and emphasised scalable, high-quality instruction for all students.  ...

On the Cusp of Change: Walking into a Literacy Revolution

Aotearoa New Zealand is on the cusp of a literacy revolution. As we lead into the first rollout of Y0–3 structured literacy professional learning and development, I have observed mixed emotions right across the sector.  I personally have had moments of immense excitement, disappointment, and moments of what I am going to call fear.  For the last nine and a half years I have dedicated most of my waking hours to working in this space. I have spent hours learning, leading, inf...

Knowledge Alone is Not Enough!

After taking some time to reflect on an incredible week of learning with the amazing Dr. Anita Archer at the Explicit Instruction Academy Training of Trainers, I’ve crafted this summary of my time with her.  Throughout the training, Dr. Archer consistently emphasised three pivotal aspects. First, the 13 elements of explicit instruction, detailed later in this blog, that prepare students for learning expectations with remarkable logic and practicality. Mastering these elements is cruc...

Where have you been all my life?

Last week, the Minister of Education announced plans to mandate Structured Literacy in all state primary schools starting with Years 1-3 from 2025, covering all pupils up to Year 6 by 2027. Our team at Learning MATTERS is incredibly proud that this announcement was made at one of the exceptional schools who have trusted in us and partnered with us to support their implementation of Structured Literacy. Congratulations to Kogie, Deb, and their team at Manurewa West School.  Reaching thi...

Prioritising Clarity: We Cannot Afford to Pick-and-Mix

In the last half-decade, there has been a noticeable groundswell towards evidence-based literacy instruction in primary (and secondary) schools in New Zealand. This shift has primarily been driven by educators at the chalkface reshaping their teaching approach to incorporate the research and evidence. For many years the science about how the brain learns to read has been accessible to us. Unfortunately, the research conducted by cognitive psychologists, neuroscientists and linguists ha...

The Educational Highway: A Step-by-Step Roadmap for Implementing a Structured Literacy Approach

Structured Literacy is an evidence-based approach to teaching foundational reading skills. It bridges the gap between the science of reading and practical classroom application by emphasising systematic, explicit, and sequential teaching. Integrating an approach that is guided by the principles and elements of Structured Literacy into school curriculums is a significant step towards ensuring that all students possess a robust reading foundation, positioning them for academic achievements.Far too...

Unlocking the Literacy Landscape: Insights from our Symposia

Following the two events held in August, Learning MATTERS Consultant, Ruth Blair, pulled together insights from the Cultivating the Literacy Landscape Symposia, where our trio of keynote speakers delved into the intricacies of teaching reading and revealed a wealth of knowledge and strategies for fostering strong reading skills.Here are Ruth's insights into their keynotes....

Listen up, nobody said the key to successful reading instruction was just PHONICS!

During the past 28 years, I have been a principal, teacher, and parent within the education system. Throughout my career, I encountered students across a spectrum of reading abilities, from those with strong reading abilities to those who struggled immensely. However, my university training and professional development had not provided me with effective strategies for teaching children to read, and I found myself ill-equipped to teach the struggling readers. I relied on the "cues" associated wit...

Exploring Balanced Literacy and Structured Literacy: The Story of Different Reading Systems

Balanced Literacy and Structured Literacy are two distinct approaches to teaching. This blog post aims to summarise each approach, discuss their origins, and explore their methods of instruction. We also delve into what happens when a child first starts school. ...

A call for clarity and consistency in reading instruction across the years and tiers

The recent airing of Paddy's Got Issues highlighted high-level findings that confirm the resolution of the reading wars, reinforced by Laura Tupou's journalistic work.  We were thrilled to hear the Minister of Education, Jan Tinetti, commit to the fact change is needed, stating that if she were back in the classroom a Structured Literacy Approach would be her preference in the early years. She declares, “It is starting to become questionable that we do have two different approaches out ...

Knowledge, Execution and Structure. The keys to Reading SUCCESS for ALL

Teaching reading as Dr Louisa Moats would say really is ‘Rocket Science’. There is so much to learn with regards to what must be taught and the importance of explicit teaching throughout the teaching process.   I still often find myself saying, “I wish I knew then what I know now”. I, like many of you, have become a lot more accepting of the lack of knowledge and practice I had when I was a qualified classroom teacher and school principal, but I was untrained in how ...

Truths about dyslexia and the crucial nature of teaching spelling

A reflection of key areas of conversation from my Chit Chat with Dr Louisa Moats....

The lottery of reading instruction in our schools, are you holding the winning ticket?

English is a complex language and although we are wired to learn to speak, we are not wired to learn to read or write. We must be taught....

Turning Passion into Success

A guest blog written by George McNeil....

The war is over - let’s look at the science

I really think the days of discussing whether or not we are at war are long gone. Hence, I wanted to take a moment to say ‘back the bus up’, but in this case I don’t think this saying quite fits. When we think about the progress occurring across New Zealand currently in the teaching of reading, I would liken the movement to a snowball effect. The momentum and impact is increasing day-by-day. Evidence-based literacy instruction (that is current, research and evidence-based and meets the nee...

Why Johnny Can't Read

A reflection of my Chit Chat with Distinguished Professor Emeritus William Tunmer, PhD. Why Johnny Can't Read—And What You Can Do About It is a 1955 book-length exposé on American reading education by Rudolf Flesch, which in essence urged a return to phonetic methods. Two years before this book was first published, well-known Distinguished Professor Emeritus William Tunmer was beginning his journey in California, USA as a 5 -year-old child being taught to read with an approach that...

We don't know what we don't know

I am saddened to say that during my teaching degree, I didn’t learn how to teach every child to become a successful reader and speller.  During my training, I was led to believe that children learn to read by looking at the word multiple times and that this would help them to commit that word to their long-term memory. Once I moved into the classroom, I learnt, as did many other teachers, to teach using a balanced literacy approach. It was the 90’s. A smattering of phonics and fully-fle...