PLD for structured literacy & te reo matatini approaches PLD for structured literacy & te reo matatini approaches

The Ministry is funding professional learning and development (PLD) for structured approaches to literacy and te reo matatini.

This PLD will support teachers to use structured literacy approaches including: oral language, phonemic knowledge, systematic synthetic phonics teaching and knowledge for decoding and spelling, handwriting, vocabulary, morphology, syntax, fluency, text structure, writing, and comprehension.  

It will also support teachers to understand the principles of explicit teaching including: a gradual release of responsibility, being systematic, being precise, providing repeated and varied opportunities for learning, being cumulative, being diagnostic and responsive, and developing mastery and automaticity. 

As part of the PLD for structured literacy approaches, teachers will learn assessment practices and how to use tools that align with these approaches to inform their teaching.  Providers will ask teachers to share assessment data with them to evaluate the effectiveness of the PLD.

This support will be available from Term 3 2024, initially focusing on year 0-3 teachers and becoming available to year 4-6 and year 7-8 teachers from  Term 1 2025.

Applications for Cohort 3 of this PLD are now closed.

Schools and kura can apply on a per-teacher basis for participation in the PLD.

If participation is approved, schools and kura will be able to approach and select an approved provider to enrol their participants in the PLD.

PLD costs will be paid directly to providers by the Ministry.

Applications are now closed for Cohort 3, 2025. Refer to key dates below for cohort and application round dates.

Funding for Teacher Release Days (TRDs)

Teacher release funding will be provided for the 3 full day facilitated workshops. This funding will be calculated on approval of successful funding applications and will be paid to schools and kura directly in the later stages of the PLD.

Note: teacher release funding will only be provided for participants that are full-time or part-time teachers, and staff employed at the school in a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT).

From Cohort 3 beginning in 2025, the PLD is accessible to teachers of years 0-8, including: 

• Full time or part-time teachers
• Staff employed on a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT)
• RTLit/RTLB, reading recovery teachers and other specialist staff attached to the school
• Regular relieving teachers

Priority will be given to teachers who have had no prior training in structured teaching approaches for literacy or te reo matatini.

All state and state-integrated schools and kura nationwide are welcome to apply.

All state/integrated schools with teachers of years 0–8 who have not yet received structured literacy PLD are eligible for this PLD. If a school already has teachers trained in structured literacy approaches, this does not exclude the school from applying for this PLD for their untrained teachers.

The following providers have been approved to deliver PLD for schools and kura who have been approved to participate in PLD for structured literacy and te reo matatini approaches.

Information about each provider’s offering can be found on their website.

Schools and kura approved for PLD will need to contact their chosen provider directly to enrol. Providers will require the approved funding application reference number (ARN) to accept enrolment – the ARN can be found in the approval confirmation email.

Schools and kura will need to ensure they have enrolled with their chosen provider by the deadline – refer to key dates below for enrolment deadlines.

English medium 

Please note that separate Ministry funded PLD in structured literacy approaches is also being delivered through Better Start Literacy Approach in Terms 3 and 4 2024, but is now closed to new applications.

Māori medium

You can find out more about Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā here: Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā (education.govt.nz)

Please note that any emails regarding the status or outcome of your application will be sent from an email address with the @Salesforce.com domain – please ensure you are checking your junk/spam email folders.

If you have questions about the PLD or about an application, please contact PLD.Enquiries@education.govt.nz

Cohort 1, 2024

 Cohort 2, 2024

 Cohort 3, 2025

Cohort 4, 2025 - Indicative (to be confirmed)

 Cohort 5, 2025 - Indicative (to be confirmed)