LITERACY – Onepoto School

The Onepoto School – Blended Literacy Approach

At Onepoto School we have a Blended Literacy Approach. This means that we implement programmes that we have used and know to work for our students. We do not have a one size fits all approach ss all students learn differently as they grow and move between different year levels. Therefore, knowing our students through our Ko Wai Au – Ko Wai Tatou Principle works best for our students and teachers.

The Science of Learning is not something new, nor is it one science, there are a range of sciences of learning that have always exisited in teaching, and it depends on what works best for each school context. At Onepoto School we rely on the Sciences of Learning that we believe informs best practice. h

Since 2020, our Deputy Principal, Kristen Webster, designed a blended approach to literacy in the Junior School, which she trialled this for 3 years across the entire school, working in collaborative spaces. Since then working with the refreshed curriulum iterations and professional development, our collaborative teaching approaches, teacher planning and delivery across the school, we have now gone on to to develop and design an updated Blended Literacy Approach incorportaing the new curriulum (October 2025), that we know works best for us.

Phase 1 – NE – Year 3 – JUNIOR LITERACY PROGRAM

New Entrant

When children first start school they are introduced to Literacy through play. The early years are a crucial time for young children to generate and refine a wide range of knowledge, skills, and attitudes relating to language and literacy. As social and cultural practices, language and literacy form the foundation for the ongoing education and lifelong learning of students.

This is based on the Early Childhood Curriculum Te Whaariki which is a great transition to school and then into Year 1. The NZ Curriculum is also incorprated into this programme.

Developing confidence and competence in, and an understanding of language, is seen as one of the major developmental, social, and emotional tasks for students. This includes learning to communicate experiences in different ways, interpret the ways in which others communicate and represent experience, and developing increasing competence in symbolic, abstract, imaginative, and creative thinking.

Students at this age are still learning important foundation skills mailnly in the areas of social and emotional skills.“They learn by engaging in meaningful interactions with people, places and things – a process that continues throughout their lifetimes.”(Te Whaariki Online)

Providing a language-rich environment that supports learning with signs, symbols, words, numbers, song, dance, drama, and arts. We also encourage their first languages which strengthens them as they learn english.

ORAL LANGUAGE:

Encouraged and incorporated daily, through class gatherings and small group work, teacher modelling and students talking together. Sometimes students may work 1:1 with their teacher or Learning assistant for extra support if needed.

READING:

Students are exposed to the BSLA Series of Quality Picture Books and also the Big Books through daily story time. During this time the students are introduced to shared stories with their teacher whci is a valuable time for listening and responding. The story can be presented in different ways through story telling, drama, play or puppets. Students are always invited to be part of the story disucssion.

WRITING:

In Phase 1 (Years 0–3), children focus on the mechanics—learning sounds, letters, and basic sentences

A variety of hands on activities are planned for students to practice letter formation, writing their name and new words. Students may also get the opportunity to write a daily shared class story with their teacher and/or have a go at drawing or writring their own story.

YEARS 1 – 3

ORAL LANGUAGE:

READING

In 2023, we started the The Better Start Literacy Approach at Onepoto School. Our previous approach was Jolly Phonics and a Whole Language approach. Phonics together with oral language, reading and writing has formed a strong foundation over the past 5 years and we have now started to implement BSLA.

The Better Start Literacy Approach. is an integrated classroom literacy programme for Years 1-3 classrooms. The approach is based on several years of research trials bythe University of Canterbury, investigating the most efficient and effective methods to support children’s early reading, writing and oral language success.

It incorporates vocabulary development using quality children’s story books, structured teaching of critical phonological awareness skills and letter-sound knowledge through fun, game-based activities, activities making explicit links to the reading and spelling context, and structured small group reading sessions using the new Ready to Read – Phonics Plus early readers series.

The Better Start Literacy Approach follows a phonics scope and sequence that is used in the class and small group reading teaching.

The Better Start Literacy Approach also incorporates carefully designed monitoring assessments focused on critical early skills known influence reading success. This includes letter-sound knowledge, phonological awareness, oral language, word reading and spelling, and connected text tasks, specifically designed to monitor children’s literacy growth in their first year of school, and provide specific direction for teaching at the class and individual level.

Whānau engagement is a critical component of early literacy success. The Better Start Literacy Approach will also include whānau workshop materials and other supporting content such as weekly letters to parents and strengths-based reporting, to facilitate whānau-school partnerships and maximise children’s’ opportunities for early literacy success. BSLA Workshops for Parents and Caregivers will be offered in terms 2 and 3.

WRITING

For Phase 1 (Years 0–3, or ages 5–8), writing is now focused on building a solid foundation through Structured Literacy. The goal is for children to move from “drawing and scribbling” to writing clear, logical sentences with confidence.

The Big Idea: Building the Foundation

In the first three years of school, the curriculum focuses on three main “threads” of writing: Transcription, Composition, and Process.

1. Transcription (The Mechanics)

This is about getting the words from the brain onto the page or screen.

Handwriting: There is a major focus on forming letters correctly and fluently so that writing becomes “automatic.”
Spelling (Phonics): Children learn the relationship between sounds and letters. In Phase 1, they focus on spelling common words accurately using their knowledge of sounds (phonemes).
Punctuation: By the end of Year 3, students are expected to use capital letters, full stops, and question marks correctly, and they start experimenting with exclamation marks and speech marks.

2. Composition (The Ideas)

This is the “creative” part of writing—deciding what to say.

Sentence Structure: Moving from simple sentences (“The cat sat.”) to complex sentences that use words like because, when, or if.
Purpose: Children learn that we write for different reasons—to tell a story, to give information, or to express a feeling.
Oral Language: A huge part of writing in Phase 1 is actually talking. If a child can say a sentence clearly, they are much more likely to be able to write it.

3. The Writing Process (The “How”)

Even at age 5 or 6, children are taught that writing is a process:

Planning: Drawing a picture or talking to a buddy to “plan” their story before they pick up a pencil.
Reviewing: Learning to look back at their own work to see if it makes sense and if they missed any full stops.

PHASE 2 – YEARS 4 – 6 – SENIOR LITERACY PROGRAMS:

Structured literacy approaches are used for the purposes of communication, reading and writing and incorporate the following components: oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics to develop decodinga and spelling skills, handwriting, vocabulary, morphology, syntax, fluency, text structure, writing processes and comprehension. (NZ Curriculum Oct 2025)

READING

The texts that students read become increasingly complex over time. During Years 4 – 6, texts will include oral, visual, and written texts (fiction and non-fiction) in print and digital media. Texts students read ta this level may include School Journals and other reading resources porovided by the Ministry of Education.

BSLA – Program

The BSLA Program continues into the senior years as required. The program is used with students transitioning into Year 4 and also for intervention learning groups at years 5-6.

WRITING

The new curriculum (October 2025) is now built around Big Ideas and Learning Sequences. For Phase 2 (Years 4–6), writing is focused on moving from the basics of “learning to write” to using writing as a tool for thinking.

1. Writing for Mastery (The Mechanics)

The focus is on “automaticity”—writing and typing becoming so natural that the child doesn’t have to think about it.

Handwriting & Typing: Children are expected to write with speed and ease. If they are no longer “stuck” on how to form a letter, their brain is free to think of great ideas.
Spelling (Morphology): Instead of just memorizing lists, they learn how words are built. They study prefixes (like un-, re-), suffixes (like -ment, -tion), and root words to help them spell and understand complex vocabulary.
Punctuation: They move beyond full stops to using commas for lists and pauses, speech marks for dialogue, and apostrophes for possession.

2. Writing for Purpose (The “Genres”)

Students learn that different types of writing have different “skeletons” or structures.

Persuasive: Learning how to use “emotive” language and evidence to convince a reader.
Informative: Learning to use headings, diagrams, and precise facts to explain a topic.
Narrative: Using sensory details (smell, sound, touch) and “show, don’t tell” techniques to make stories more engaging.

3. The Writing Process

Writing is no longer seen as a one-off task. The curriculum emphasizes a three-step cycle:

Planning: Using talk and graphic organizers to map out ideas before writing.
Drafting & Re-crafting: Changing words to be more precise (e.g., swapping “walked” for “shuffled” or “marched”).
Reviewing: Checking their work against a goal or “success criteria.”

TRANSCRIPTION SKILLS:

HANDWRITING

Fluent and legible handwriting is important for communicating clearly for all writing tasks. Daily practice helps to improve this skill.

SPELLING – THE CODE Spelling Program

The Code is a Spelling Program that supports BSLA. It is a daily program with a focus on phonemic awareness and the use of words in a sentence. This supports reading and writing.

KEYBOARDING

Why the focus on keyboarding?

The new curriculum recognizes that for children to be successful in the modern world, they need to be able to “write” as fluently on a screen as they do on paper. The goal is automaticity—teaching students to type without thinking about where the keys are, so their brain can focus entirely on their ideas and creativity.

It is important to know that handwriting is not being replaced. Te Mātaiaho emphasizes that children need both.

Handwriting is vital for early brain development and memory.
Keyboarding is vital for the “speed of thought” required for modern research and communication.

Please note that while we are using the new curriculum (October 2025), we take children from where they are at and build on a responsive learning program where they feel and see success and achievement on their learning journey.