Structured Literacy Approach

What is Structured Literacy?

At Putāruru Primary School, we are proud to implement a Structured Literacy approach to teaching reading and writing. This method ensures every learner receives explicit, systematic instruction, laying a solid foundation for confident, capable readers and writers.

We have adopted the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) across our kura. All our teachers have either completed or are currently undergoing training to deliver this evidence-based programme.

Structured Literacy involves:

Explicit Instruction – Clearly teaching skills in a direct manner.
Systematic Progression – Following a carefully planned sequence of lessons.
Cumulative Learning – Building new concepts upon previously mastered ones.
Diagnostic Teaching – Continuously assessing and responding to each child's progress.

Our learners are taught to:

• Understand the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes).
• Decode (sound out) words confidently.
• Apply spelling patterns and rules.
• Develop vocabulary, comprehension, and writing strategies

The BSLA has been specifically designed for the New Zealand educational context and has demonstrated outstanding results. Research indicates that BSLA is effective across all cultural groups, with Māori and Pasifika children showing accelerated learning in their early literacy skills.

We are already witnessing exciting progress and increased confidence among our students, particularly those who previously faced challenges with traditional literacy methods.

For more detailed information about the Better Start Literacy Approach and its research foundation, you can visit the official BSLA website.

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2024 Literacy Results

At Putāruru Primary School, we’re on a journey to strengthen literacy outcomes for all our ākonga, and there has been some great mahi happening behind the scenes to make that happen.

Mid-Year Progress
Our teachers have completed mid-year assessments in reading and writing. While we still have a way to go to get all our students where they need to be, we’re seeing signs of growth and improvement—especially in the junior school, where many of our Year 1 students have just completed their first 10 weeks of the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA).

Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA)
BSLA is a structured literacy programme for Years 1–3 that helps build strong foundations in reading and writing. The early data is really promising—77% of students who completed both baseline and 10-week testing are now on track, with a clear plan in place for those needing extra support.

How we support our learners
Across the school, we have a range of tailored literacy interventions happening:

• Tier 2 BSLA groups for students who need a little more support
• Quick 60 and Rev Up programmes to boost fluency and comprehension
• One-on-one reading sessions
• Learning Assistants running extra reading mileage and Repeat ReadingIn total, over 45 students are receiving targeted Tier 2 or Tier 3 support right now—either with our Literacy Lead or with trained Learning Assistants.

What's next?
We’re continuing to grow teacher confidence and capability with BSLA and Structured Literacy, and we’re waiting for Ministry updates around funding and new resources for 2025. We’re also updating our school’s Curriculum and Achievement Plan to reflect the progress and direction we’re heading in.