Reading

Reading at Putāruru Primary School
At Putāruru Primary School, we believe that learning to read is not just a skill — it's a gateway to confidence, curiosity, and lifelong learning.

To give every child the best possible start, we use a Structured Literacy approach, with all of our teachers either fully trained or currently being trained in the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA). This is an evidence-based programme developed right here in Aotearoa New Zealand, designed to support early literacy success across all learners.

Why Structured Literacy?
Structured Literacy is a teaching approach that is:

Explicit – skills are taught clearly and directly
Systematic – lessons follow a planned sequence that builds over time
Cumulative – new learning builds on what has already been taught
Responsive – teaching is adapted based on learner needs and progress

Our learners begin with strong foundations in:

Phonological awareness – the ability to hear and work with sounds in spoken words
Decoding – learning how sounds match to letters so words can be read accurately
Spelling patterns – understanding how English words are constructed
Comprehension and vocabulary – building understanding and language knowledge

We're seeing fantastic results, not only in accelerated reading achievement, but in growing confidence and pride from our tamariki. For many of our learners, especially those who may have found reading tricky in the past, this approach has been a game changer.

Our Commitment
Reading is not just something we do — it’s part of who we are as a learning community. Our teachers work closely with each other and with whānau to track progress, celebrate successes, and provide the right support at the right time.

Every learner is different — and we believe every learner deserves to experience success. With the Better Start Literacy Approach guiding our early years and strong, deliberate teaching continuing throughout the school, we’re building capable, confident, and joyful readers.