The Ministry of Education has teamed up with the University of Canterbury to roll out a new research-based initiative called Better Start Literacy Approach.
Dunedin Primary Schools Catholic Kahui Ako learning support co-ordinator Annabel Hamman is one of more than 450 teachers and literacy specialists around the country taking part in the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA), which was developed by a team of researchers at the University of Canterbury’s Child Well-being Research Institute.
She said BSLA taught children letter-sound knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary, oral narrative, word reading and spelling.
"The approach uses quality children’s story books and fun, game-based phoneme awareness activities to build these critical foundational skills."
She said the research trials showed it significantly improved children’s early reading, spelling and vocabulary development, to a greater extent than typical classroom practice.
"It is particularly helpful for children who enter school with lower levels of oral language skills and helps them catch up towards their peers."
The approach was first successfully trialled in Auckland and Christchurch schools, but it was now being rolled out in more year 0-1 classes across the country.
Mrs Hamman said she was helping teachers at St Mary’s (Mosgiel) School and St Brigid’s (Dunedin) School to learn about, plan for, and implement the approach successfully in their classrooms.
"We are finding more students are entering school at 5 years of age with decreased literacy knowledge and skills.
"Therefore, as educators it is crucial we deliver explicit evidence-based best practice instruction to lift student outcomes in literacy."
Central to the BSLA was the Ready to Read – Phonics Plus early readers’ series, recently published by the Ministry of Education as part of its new Early Literacy Approach, she said.
