$67 million for structured teaching approaches 

The Minister has confirmed Budget 2024 will include $67 million to help teachers and kaiako to teach using evidence-based, structured teaching approaches. This underscores the Minister’s intention of all schools and kura using evidence-based structured teaching approaches. You can read the Minister’s announcement here: Transforming how our children learn to read | Beehive.govt.nz

In summary, the Minister announced:

• New funding for professional learning and development (PLD) in structured teaching approaches over the next four years.  

• Funding to support schools in purchasing classroom resources 

• Funding for online supports, administration and evaluation of the programme. 

A ‘structured approach’ to teaching refers to both the content and the methods of teaching. It is not one particular programme, but an approach that guides teaching. Structured literacy approaches emphasise systematically learning letters, letter combinations and new words using sound, along with explicitly teaching vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

There is a wealth of evidence from schools in New Zealand who have implemented a structured literacy approach, showing that the approach is lifting achievement, closing the equity gap, and reducing the need for reading and pānui interventions (extra learning support).

Approximately 85 per cent of all primary schools, and at least half of all junior primary school teachers, have already begun to use structured approaches to literacy in their teaching. Research is being undertaken to understand the use of structured approaches to pānui and tuhituhi for those learning through te reo Māori. We encourage teachers, kaiako, schools and kura to engage with the new PLD opportunities alongside their colleagues as soon as possible.

This investment is about raising ākonga | student achievement and ensuring national consistency, to give every student the best possible opportunity for educational success.

Schools and kura can find out how to access this new PLD by visiting the PLD website.

See the “About this resource” box below to download resources:

• Structured-approaches-to-Te-Reo-Matatini-Māori.pdf
• Structured-approaches-to-Te-Reo-Matatini-English.pdf