Don't stop now; we still have work to do!

 Taking a moment to reflect on how far we have come in our journey with structured literacy is truly rewarding. As an individual, my exploration into this field began in 2018. It was then that I wrote my first blog post, sharing my initial insights into the fascinating world of the reading brain at the end of April that year.

From that initial step, my passion for learning and implementing structured literacy practices has continually moved my teaching approach forward. In May 2018, I shared another blog post, expressing my excitement about decodable books and phonics. This was just the beginning. By 2019 and 2020, our entire school was engaging in structured literacy learning, leading to rapid growth. Our journey has been marked by an ongoing cycle of reflection, refinement, and adaptation. A crucial element of our progress has been our willingness to acknowledge and learn from our mistakes, which has empowered us to deepen our understanding.

The self-driven nature of our learning journey has been another important factor. We have progressed at our own pace, addressing our unique needs and challenges. Now, in 2025, I sit here, enthusiastic about the prospect of nationwide consistency in New Zealand, where we can establish a consistent baseline for best practices in literacy education. It has been seven years since I began this journey, and while I often cringe at some of my initial thoughts, I treasure my early blog posts as milestones of growth and reminders that every journey must start somewhere.

Despite our achievements, what we are currently striving for should be viewed as merely a baseline for effective practice—what every child in New Zealand should receive. It’s important to recognise that this is not the end of our efforts. Significant work remains. As the title of this reflection suggests, don't stop now; we still have work to do.

A baseline for best practice is a start, but it won't meet the needs of every student. We need well-developed systems to support students who struggle (Tier 2 and 3) and those who require additional challenges. Our goal should be to deliver exemplary practice to the entire class while ensuring that every student's needs are met.

It's encouraging that we are making strides toward more robust Tier 2 and 3 support, but we must admit that we are far from reaching our destination. Schools are doing their utmost, yet meeting these children's needs necessitates comprehensive systems and adequate resources. Implementing a phonics check is one thing, but do schools have the resources and systems in place to act on the data? We must question the practicality of class teachers conducting these assessments when they already gather valuable phonetic information. It may be more practical for one designated individual to handle assessments and provide feedback. An individual who is also in charge of implementing systems of identification and support.

Additionally, our understanding of dyslexia, developmental language disorder (DLD), dyscalculia, and neurodiversity remains inadequate across the sector. Schools often lack the time and resources needed to address these diversities effectively. Ideally, each school should have a dedicated expert to establish systems for identification and support, but this is not currently feasible within the resourcing we receive. Our education system needs easy access to speech-language therapists, educational psychologists, occupational therapists, and more. Expecting teachers to fill roles for which they haven't been trained is unrealistic and unfair. Building an exceptional educational environment requires both funding and key personnel.

Additionally, we must better identify and support students who need challenge. This goes beyond assigning independent projects; it involves teaching that genuinely meets their advanced needs. While teachers strive to provide differentiated instruction, our children deserve more. A gold standard of practice cannot be achieved if teachers are stretched too thinly.

While meeting the needs of all children is complex, it is achievable with the right systems and resources. Our journey in structured literacy is far from over, and we must remain committed to ensuring every child receives the support they need to thrive.  

This journey is in no way basic, schools currently don't even receive enough funding to provide teacher aides to those who desperately need it.  Throwing resources at schools, while gratefully accepted, is just one tiny part of the puzzle, if we truly want to transform our system, much, much more is needed.

You could say, we are not done yet!