Structured Literacy & the Science

New Zealand’s Budget 2025 promises a transformative boost to learning support, with headlines touting $2.5 billion in education spending over four years and major investments in additional learning needs, teacher aides, early intervention, and specialist provision. At first glance, this seems a watershed moment— more teacher aide hours, expanded early intervention, and increased operational grants for schools. However, a closer reading exposes both strengths and substantive g

A 2024 article from ADDitude Magazine, “Unlocking Achievement in Students with Dyslexia and ADHD” by Dr Mark Bertin, provides an accessible summary of how structured literacy approaches benefit students with ADHD in addition to those with dyslexia (Bertin, 2024). Article Summary Bertin (2024) explains that learning to read is uniquely challenging for many children with dyslexia and for those with ADHD. Structured literacy—characterised by explicit, systematic, and multisensor

Recent research highlights that the science of reading—structured, evidence-based instruction—can help up to 95% of students achieve literacy success, including those who are neurodivergent. Strong Tier 1 (core) instruction, delivered with fidelity and responsiveness, is foundational. However, the research also cautions that while whole-class scaffolding and structure benefit all learners, neurodivergent students need more: a hybrid model that combines class-wide strategies w

Supporting children who struggle with reading, writing, or spelling—especially those who are neurodivergent or learning English as an additional language—can feel overwhelming. With so much new research emerging, it’s important to understand not only what each study says but how these findings fit together to shape effective teaching and tutoring practices. In this post, we’ll explore the key insights from the latest research on structured literacy and neurodiversity, highlig