"I am so sorry, but he has no potential to learn."
These words are etched into my memory like a scar. My son was just seven when he was assessed at the Child Development Centre of our local hospital, and those were the words delivered to me at the end of it. I couldn’t believe it. I remember sitting there, stunned. How could anyone look at my little boy and say that? Like any mother, I knew my son. I knew the challenges he faced, but I also knew his limitless potential. There was no way I was going to let a so-called professional decide his future based on one evaluation.
Yes, he struggled with speech development, but that was only part of the story. I saw the spark in his eyes when he would quietly solve puzzles in his mind, the way he would absorb the world around him. He had intelligence. He had creativity. He had potential.
On the other side of this disheartening hospital experience, there was hope—his time at preschool. His kindy teachers, those incredible, inspiring women, saw what I saw in him. They didn’t see a boy who couldn’t learn; they saw a child with imagination and ingenuity. He started drawing freehand designs for a new playground, sketches of how he thought the playground could be improved. And you know what? His teachers believed in him so much, they brought those designs to life. They let him guide the other children in building what he had envisioned. They didn’t just believe for him; they made space for him to believe in himself. When I picked him up that day, he was beaming. He was so proud of what he had accomplished.
Mums, we know. Deep down, we always know. When our gut tells us something about our children, it’s never wrong. We know when our child is struggling to read, no matter what their report card says. We know when they’re bright, even if the world tries to dim their light. We know when they’re working so hard to hold it together at school, only to fall apart at home. We just know. And as parents, we have to follow that instinct.
I have to admit that I didn’t know better when my own children were aged 7 and 5. One of them seemingly learnt to read with ease and the other didn’t. I got frustrated. I knew he had great potential but he simply couldn’t lift the words off the page. He struggled, I struggled. I continuously wondered why he seemed to read a word on one page and then not be able to read the same word on the next page. Year after year we tried numerous interventions to no avail. While I thought I was helping him, I look back and wonder how much damage those interventions were doing to his self-esteem. All too often we would (at home and school) change the programme of intervention. He tried so hard! Trying just doesn’t cut it. Oh, how I wish I could turn back the clock. You can’t teach what you don’t know though.
My own experience with my son reflects a reality that is far too common: literacy underpins success. And sadly, the lack of it can underpin failure. I didn’t truly understand or implement evidence-based, Structured Literacy practices for my son until he was 12. By then, it was not too late, but it was incredibly difficult. We now know that early identification of dyslexia and reading difficulties, followed by early intervention, is not only important—it’s crucial. The social and emotional impact of illiteracy is immense. It can’t be downplayed, but it can be prevented. Today, this young man is living his best life working as a shepherd. Timesheets are problematic, but he has worked out how to cater to his challenges and certainly capitalises on his strengths. So proud!
Looking back, I wouldn’t change this journey for the world. While it’s been incredibly challenging on many levels, it has shaped me. I have developed resilience; determination and it has certainly given me purpose.
The vision I had nine years ago, when I made the decision to leave school leadership and found Learning MATTERS, remains the same today: "to create an evidence-based alignment between Tier 1, 2, and 3 instruction in our schools, and to ensure that support outside of school aligns with this as well". Our journey started in the Tier 3 space. We invested time, a lot of time, in building our knowledge and practice teaching students with significant literacy challenges. I am so grateful for this. We very quickly realised that we had to use what we had learnt to create more equity in education, hence our shift into working within schools and supporting them to implement Structured Literacy across the tiers and years.
I am so proud of the progress we’ve made—both personally and professionally, but there is little time to turn our heads and look back to see where we’ve been. The need to progress the change is unrelenting. Every step forward has been hard-won. We’ve come far, but this story is far from over. There’s still so much more to be done, for all children who are struggling. We can celebrate what we’ve achieved, but we can’t afford to lose sight of the work still ahead. We owe it to ourselves, and we owe it to our children, to see this through. We have to ensure that the system that is embedded here in New Zealand is one of continuous learning and that it is manageable for teachers and leaders so that it does become embedded and continuously monitored and improved. We must also commit to staying true to the research and evidence and be willing to alter our practices and implementation, as the research and evidence evolves.
Professional Training for Differentiated Tiers
The vision remains the same – Tiers 1, 2, and 3 in schools across the year levels – humming! But for this to work, it is essential that each tier of instruction is distinct and delivered by educators with the right training and expertise. Tier 1 instruction should be provided by educators skilled in delivering high-quality Structured Literacy to the majority of students, while Tier 2 requires a deeper understanding of targeted interventions. And when it comes to Tier 3, it’s critical that the instruction is provided by our most knowledgeable specialists. We cannot expect Tier 3 instruction to succeed if it is delivered by individuals trained only in Tier 1 methodologies. The level of intervention required in Tier 3 demands a different approach, more intensive, with advanced training that equips educators to meet the specific needs of these students.
I am particularly proud of the progress we’ve made with iDeaL, our literacy platform that has proven to be a game-changer for schools and educators across New Zealand. It's making Structured Literacy accessible and practical, helping countless students and teachers. Compared to other countries New Zealand is very slow to adopt curriculum supports to aid teachers, easing their workloads and ensuring they can get on with their core purpose, teaching as opposed to planning lessons for hours.
The Learning MATTERS Intervention Teaching (LMIT) certification, which has recently achieved IDA accreditation, is another milestone we are celebrating. LMIT is the first certification in Australasia to receive this recognition from the International Dyslexia Association. What’s more, LMIT includes a comprehensive practicum component, where participants submit recordings of their teaching practice and attend coaching sessions to aid their practice improvements. The progress in teaching these Tier 3 educators make has been incredible to observe. Our country needs more of these trained and skillful educators to meet the needs of students requiring Tier 3 instruction across the year levels. This comprehensive training approach ensures that educators are truly prepared to implement Tier 3 interventions at the highest level of expertise. This is what I wish for my grandchildren who will certainly run the genetic risk of being dyslexic.
Looking ahead, we are excited to continue supporting the Tier 3 space even further. In early 2025, we plan to open up the iDeaL Specialist Platform, specifically designed for trained intervention specialists to use in Tier 3 intervention settings, both in and out of school. This next step in our journey will provide schools with a powerful tool to deliver structured, evidence-based interventions to students who need them the most.
Building an Aligned System
It’s not enough to implement something new; we need a fully aligned system, one that integrates professional learning, high-quality teaching practices, and effective resources. This means that the training and professional development for teachers at each tier must be tailored to the level of instruction they are providing. The one-size-fits-all approach does not work when it comes to literacy intervention. We need Tier 1, 2, and 3 aligned instruction, with differentiated training that reflects the complexity and depth required at each level.
For me, the mission is clear: to ensure a complete Tier 1, 2, and 3 aligned system of Structured Literacy here in Aotearoa New Zealand. We must have a system that gives every child the chance to succeed, no matter where they start. Those of us who know the journey of illiteracy know the stakes. Those of us who have completed accredited tier 3 instructional certifications know the difference between the levels of training required. Structured Literacy implementation within schools is not complete without all tiers in place. It isn’t an easy task, the knowledge and practice required is significant for these educators. Equity will be achieved when the system is complete and consistent across all schools.
I believe we can and must make it happen.
