PLD Promoting Literacy Development

Support a consistent, evidence-based approach to literacy instruction across your whole school.

PLD’s Whole School Literacy Plan helps leadership teams and teachers implement Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) from F–6 in a coordinated and systematic way.

What’s included
• F–6 lesson block outlines for Integrated SSP Kits and Starter Packs
• QR codes linking to short demonstration videos for quick reference

Designed for staff meetings, planning days and ongoing support, this resource helps ensure consistent, explicit literacy instruction across all classrooms.

Download the plan at https://pld-literacy.org/about/whole-school-literacy-strategy

Request a printed version at https://pld-literacy.org/whole-school-literacy-plan-request-form/

This week’s Sunday Reading explores how beginning reading texts support early literacy development.

A 2024 article in “The Reading Teacher” highlights a clear message for practice:

Beginning reading texts should support both decoding and knowledge/comprehension development, and teachers need to be intentional in how texts are selected and used in instruction.

Rather than treating text types as competing approaches, the article emphasises instructional purpose – what students need to learn and how texts are used to support that learning.

Key ideas:
• Beginning readers need opportunities to practise decoding in connected text
• Text selection should align with developing alphabetic knowledge
• Early texts can also support vocabulary and knowledge growth
• Effectiveness depends on how texts are used in explicit instruction

A useful reminder: it’s not just what we use, but how and why we use it.

Read more:
https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trtr.2303

Need practical literacy resources you can actually use in your classroom, without the extra workload?

PLD’s Free Literacy Resources collection is packed with evidence-based tools designed to support structured literacy instruction and strengthen learning both in the classroom and at home.

You’ll find:
• Phonics support materials to reinforce structured literacy instruction
• Developmental milestone checklists to support early identification and tracking
• Parent-friendly videos to strengthen home–school connections
• Ready-to-use PDFs designed to save planning time and support consistent practice

These resources are simple to access and easy to implement, helping teachers deliver effective literacy instruction with minimal preparation.

Explore the free resources at
https://pld-literacy.org/freeresources/

Why not tag a colleague who may find these useful?

We’re pleased to share that PLD’s Decodable Reading Books for Year 1 (extended code) have been shortlisted in the 2026 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards!

Designed specifically for Year 1 students, these decodable readers align with Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) and are authored by speech pathologists to support strong foundational reading development.

Each set is carefully sequenced to guide students through their SSP learning journey, building confidence, accuracy, and fluency step by step.

What sets them apart:
• Fully aligned with PLD’s Year 1 teaching sequence
• Progressively structured from very low word counts and single lines of text to more complex text
• Includes decodable high-frequency words and thoughtfully introduced Heart Words
• Research-based font size and spacing to support early readers

4 Sets – 100 Books in Total!
• Sets 7 & 8: Semester 1 (Terms 1–2)
• Sets 9 & 10: Semester 2 (Terms 3–4)

Explore the series at
https://pld-literacy.org/plds-year-1-decodable-reading-books/

Strong literacy teaching starts with strong professional knowledge – and that comes from learning that is both practical and evidence-based.

PLD’s online Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) courses make high-impact professional learning accessible whenever and wherever it suits you.

Whether you’re strengthening your understanding of phonics instruction or refining your approach to teaching reading and spelling, these courses are designed to provide classroom-ready strategies that can be applied immediately.

Why educators choose PLD online courses:
• Flexible, self-paced learning available anytime, anywhere
• Short, targeted modules grounded in current research and classroom practice
• 90-day access, allowing you to revisit and consolidate key concepts
• A certificate of completion to support your professional learning records

If you're looking to strengthen your confidence in Structured Synthetic Phonics and improve literacy outcomes through explicit, evidence-based instruction, PLD’s online courses offer an accessible and effective pathway.

Explore courses and register today at
https://pld-literacy.org/professional-learning-delivered-online/