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.
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.
PLD will be delivered over three school terms and comprises the following as a minimum over two phases:
The delivery of PLD can include face-to-face and/or virtual/remote delivery, and will run in cohorts. For the 2025/26 school years, cohort details are:
|
Cohort |
Begins |
Ends |
|---|---|---|
|
Cohort 7, 2026 |
Term 1 2026 |
Term 3 2026 |
|
Cohort 6, 2025 |
Term 4 2025 |
Term 2 2026 |
|
Cohort 5, 2025 |
Term 3 2025 |
Term 1 2026 |
|
Cohort 4, 2026 |
Term 2 2025 |
Term 4 2025 |
PLD costs will be paid directly to providers by the Ministry.
Teacher release funding will be provided for the 3 full day facilitated workshops and paid to schools and kura directly in the third term of the PLD.
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:
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.
If you are unable to enrol with a provider, please contact pld.enquiries@education.govt.nz to have your application waitlisted. If you do not inform the Ministry, your application may be cancelled and you will need to reapply in the next cohort.
|
Provider |
Website and contact details |
|---|---|
|
Blend Learning NZ Ltd |
Website: Blend Learning NZ Ltd Email: traceypacheco@blendlearning.nz Phone: 021 444 209 |
|
BSLA University of Canterbury |
Website: BSLA University of Canterbury Email: sally.trethowan@canterbury.ac.nz Phone: 027 230 3627 |
|
Clarity Education NZ |
Website: Clarity Education NZ Email: andreaford@clarityeducation.co.nz Phone: 022 358 1310 |
|
Coactive Education Consultancy |
Website: Coactive Education Consultancy Email: literacy@coactiveeducation.com Phone: 0800 2622 8483 |
|
Cognition Education |
Website: Cognition Education Email: JBishop@cognitioneducation.com Phone: 021 0809 5713 |
|
ImpactEd |
Website: ImpactEd Email: arnika@impacted.co.nz Phone: 021 992 931 |
|
Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga |
Website: Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga Email: k.brunton@evaluate.co.nz Phone: 021 606 360 |
|
Learning Adventures New Zealand |
Website: Learning Adventures New Zealand Email: admin@learningadventures.nz Phone: 027 439 3489 Includes facilitators for the following organisations:
|
|
Learning MATTERS | iDeaL |
Website: Learning MATTERS | iDeaL Email: PLD@learningmatters.co.nz Phone: 027 532 7646 |
|
Literacy Connections |
Website: Literacy Connections Email: admin@literacyconnections.co.nz Phone: 021 176 8545 |
|
Massey University |
Website: Tātai Angitu Email: SLA.PLD@massey.ac.nz Phone: 06 951 7490 |
|
Spectrum Education |
Website: Spectrum Education Email: info@spectrumeducation.com Phone: 021 270 3733 |
|
Tātai Aho Rau Core Education |
Website: Tātai Aho rau | Core Education Email: learning@core-ed.ac.nz Phone: 027 415 3921 |
|
Te Wheke Educational Psychology |
Website: Te Wheke Educational Psychology Email: SLA@tewheke.org.nz Phone: 021 025 07132 |
|
The Kiwi Reading Doctor |
Website: The Kiwi Reading Doctor Email: admin@kiwireadingdoctor.nz Phone: 021 261 5542 |
You can find out more about Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā here: Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā (education.govt.nz)
|
Provider |
Website and contact details |
|---|---|
|
K.I.S Education Limited |
Website: K.I.S Education Limited Email: pld@kiseducation.org Phone: 027 544 6189 |
|
Kia Ata Mai Educational Trust |
Website: Kia Ata Mai Educational Trust Email: tautoko@kiaatamai.org Phone: 027 283 3900 |
|
Learning Leaders Limited |
Website: Learning Leaders Limited Email: learningleaders.limted@gmail.com Phone: 027 216 4871 |
|
MAPSS (Māori & Pasifika Support Services) |
Website: Māori & Pasifika Support Services Email: pld@mapss.co.nz Phone: |
|
Moko Kauri Limited |
Website: Moko Kauri Limited Email: info@mokokauri.co.nz Phone: 021 217 4051 |
|
Arahia Associates (Patrick & Patrick Associates) |
Website: Alice Patrick Email: arahia03@gmail.com Phone: 027 665 9443 |
|
Tai Huki Consult Limited |
Website: Tai Huki Consult Limited Email: Whare@taihukiconsult.co.nz Phone: 021 515 029 |
|
Tātai Aho Rau Core Education |
Website: Tātai Aho Rau | Core Education Email: learning@core-ed.ac.nz Phone: 0800 267 301 or 022 015 3844 |
|
The University of Waikato |
Website: The University of Waikato Email: tammy.gardiner@waikato.ac.nz Phone: 027 424 2359 |
|
TupuOra Education & Development Limited |
Website: TupuOra Education & Development Limited Email: pld@tupuora.co.nz |
|
Tui Tuia - Auckland UniServices |
Website: Tui Tuia - Learning Circle Email: aroha.ngaropo@auckland.ac.nz Phone: 027 616 2477 |
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
|
Activity |
Dates - English medium |
Dates - Māori medium |
|---|---|---|
|
Application round opens |
13 October 2025 |
13 October 2025 |
|
Application round closes |
31 October 2025 |
31 October 2025 |
|
Application outcomes notified |
5 November 2025 |
5 November 2025 |
|
Deadline for schools to enrol with providers |
19 November 2025 |
19 November 2025 |
|
Cohort 7 PLD commences |
From 26 January 2026 |
From 26 January 2026 |
|
Cohort 7 PLD completed |
End of Term 3 2026 |
End of Term 3 2026 |
The following are FAQs on assessment tools in relation to structured literacy approaches PLD.
Participants in SLA PLD are introduced to either the DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency subtest for Years 0-4 or the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency subtest for Years 4-8.
To support the use of these tools we have created this page with videos on the Nonsense word fluency assessment:
DIBELS assessment - Supporting videos
This page also includes information on how DIBELS and the Phonics Check can work together in the first year of schooling.
These assessments replace other tools and practices previously used such as running records and the Observational Survey (6 year net).
PLD facilitators will work with schools to agree what anonymised data they will share with providers for their reporting purposes. Teachers and facilitators may also share and discuss data to inform teaching and programmes and student needs.
The DIBELS NWF subtest and the Ministry of Educations Phonics Checks can be used in Year 1 in complementary ways.
The Phonics Checks help teachers assess a student’s progress in relation to the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum expectations and national student norms. These checks offer detailed achievement levels that show where a student is in their learning and what an appropriate teaching response is for each level.
DIBELS NWF subtest can be used at school entry to establish a student’s baseline knowledge, providing a reference point from which to measure their learning progress across the year. It can also be used for monitoring progress throughout the first year of school, leading up to and between the two Phonics Checks. DIBELS NWF subtest can be used for benchmarking and progress tracking up to the end of Year 4.