Login
Register
(0)
PLD’s Alignment with National and State Curriculum Releases
Well-designed structured synthetic programs have a clear scope and sequence and build from basic initial code into extended code along with frequent checks for understanding and skill levels.
PLD provides an Australian, evidence-based approach to Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) for primary school educators. Aligned with the Science of Reading, PLD’s SSP approach extends from the junior primary years through to the upper primary years and thereby facilitating a whole school approach. The PLD SSP programs are compatible with national and state-level curriculum initiatives.
Navigate to the relevant sections using the tabs below.
What is the Australian National Curriculum (V9)?
The Australian National Curriculum (Version 9) is an updated national curriculum endorsed by education ministers. Version 9 aims to be a manageable curriculum for primary and secondary teachers and identifies the essential content our children should learn. It is the result of the 2020–21 Australian Curriculum Review.
How do PLD Programs align?
Download the following documents to explore PLD’s alignment with the Australian National Curriculum.
Victoria State-Level Curriculum Releases: The Phonics Plus Program
All Victorian public schools (F-2) will be moving to implement the explicit instruction of systematic synthetic phonics from 2025. The Phonics Plus scope and sequence overview and F-2 tables provide a progression of learning of letters (graphemes) and their corresponding sounds (phonemes) to decode words and develop morphological knowledge. The grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) are organised in 36 sets of code.
The scope and sequence also include spelling patterns, morphology, high-frequency words, handwriting and reading fluency. While the scope and sequence includes suggested timings, this should be treated as indicative only with the pace of delivery determined by the rate of learning progression of most students in a class.
How do PLD Programs align?
The following documents outline PLD’s alignment with the Victorian Phonics Plus scope and sequence.
WA State-Level Curriculum Releases: WA Phonics Initiative
As a part of the 2023 WA Department of Education Phonics Initiative, WA schools have been required to complete an annual phonics assessment for Year 1 students since the start of 2023. The annual assessment helps teachers to identify students who require additional support to develop essential phonics skills.
How do PLD Programs align?
The WA Department of Education has identified PLD as an endorsed phonics program to support schools with this implementation. Schools already implementing PLD, or those who are looking at implementing PLD, will be interested in PLD’s alignment with the WA Education Department screening requirements.
NSW State-Level Curriculum Releases: The NSW K-2 English Syllabus
The K-12 NSW school curriculum review took place to “ensure that the NSW education system is properly preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century” (p. v). The report, released in 2020, contains wide ranging proposals with significant implications for teachers and students, including for teaching reading and literacy. The new NSW K–2 English Syllabus covers content including oral language and communication, handwriting, spelling and creating written texts.
How do PLD Programs align?
A download of PLD’s alignment with the NSW scope and sequence will be available shortly.
What is the Year 1 Phonics Check?
The Year 1 Phonics Check originated in the UK in 2012 and has recently been adapted for Australia. It was initially implemented in SA (2018), NSW (2021), Vic (2023) ACT, (2024) and NT (2024) have also subsequently endorsed its use within state schools.
The Phonics Check is a short assessment that informs how students are progressing with phonics and decoding. Students are presented with real and nonsense decodable words to read. The screen is free to administer and takes approximately 7 minutes per student.
The screen is a pass/fail screen and is administered following 18 months of reading and phonics instruction. The Phonics Check is expected to be administered by Term 3 week 3 in Year 1. Students need to read 28/40 words correctly to pass.
Download past UK Phonics Screens here.
Further reading:
- Blog 1: PLD supports the introduction of the Phonics Check
- Blog 2: Preparation for the Phonics Screening Check
What do we mean by the Early Years?
The Early Years cover 3-4 year old schooling generally known as Kindergarten (WA, QLD, SA, TAS) or Preschool (ACT, NT, NSW, VIC). This can also cover 3-4 year old daycare.
The states are increasingly investing in the period of the Early Years. From 2025 Victoria begins to roll out full-time pre-prep programs. By 2030 NSW aims to deliver the same. From a West Australian context, WA has for over two decades offered a part-time kindergarten program delivered to align with schools.
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)
The Early Years period does not fall under the Education Department realm, but rather the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). PLD’s Early Years programs are aligned with EYLF and have been developed to run alongside and within a play-based program. They are designed to facilitate the intentional teaching component of a day as recommended in the EYLF. Our learning activities have been developed by Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists and draw upon the EYLF with age-appropriate education in mind. Our evidence-based resources contain options for both small and large group sessions and offer opportunities for intentional teaching and predictable daily routines helping to set children up for school readiness.
“Educators act with intentionality in play-based learning when they … provide a balance between child-led and adult-initiated guided play.” Taken from Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE] (2022). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (V2.0). Australian Government Department of Education for the Ministerial Council.
