Literacy

Universal Similarities in Structured Synthetic Phonics Sequences

By Diana Rigg

10/08/2026

While there is no single universally agreed-upon phonics sequence, effective systematic phonics programs share a similar, research-based progression that moves from simple initial code to advanced and complex code. The […]

By Diana Rigg

27/07/2026

Over the past semester, six improvements have been introduced to My SSP Online. Some may already be familiar if you’ve logged in over recent weeks, while others may be new […]

By Diana Rigg

07/08/2026

The Year 1 Phonics Check aims to identify students who require targeted literacy support, and schools that require a stronger school-wide approach to structured synthetic phonics (SSP). For schools implementing […]

By Diana Rigg

01/04/2024

Are you confident with your Term 2 teaching programs and the PLD teaching sequence? Do you know exactly what PLD programs to teach and when to implement the PLD teaching […]

By Diana Rigg

16/04/2026

PLD is designed to align with the Australian Curriculum. Queensland, like all other states and territories, uses the Australian Curriculum as the foundation for its own teaching and learning guidance. […]

By Diana Rigg

02/04/2026

Research into brain activity has shown a bidirectional connection between visual and phonological areas of the brain. This means that children should be systematically taught how letters map to speech […]

By Diana Rigg

13/03/2026

Many literacy organisations recommend between 10 and 20 minutes of reading per day, largely due to the exposure of words this brings to a student. However, citations linked to these […]

By Diana Rigg

12/02/2026

In the current Australian educational landscape, “Explicit Instruction” has become more than just a buzzword; it is the gold standard for literacy success. With the rollout of the Australian Curriculum […]

By Diana Rigg

01/07/2026

To inspire and focus your teachers for the term ahead, be sure to forward them these short refresher clips. The clips provide concise, relevant, and actionable tips for effective PLD […]

By Diana Rigg

12/01/2024

What is Blending and Why is it a Necessary Skill in SSP Programs The two skills required to decode written words are letter-sound knowledge and blending phonemes (Muter et al., […]

By Diana Rigg

11/01/2024

Home practice of phonic concepts taught at school through the use of decodable reading material provides students with an opportunity to consolidate their learning and increase the amount of oral […]

By Diana Rigg

01/03/2023

Learning to read is more than just an essential life skill, it opens up entirely new worlds and possibilities. However, as we all know, it is an area of learning […]

By Diana Rigg

16/08/2022

The complete guide to literacy development in childhood and primary school in Australia. Everything for teachers and parents to know.

By Diana Rigg

19/07/2021

How Phonic Sound Walls Belong in PLD’s SSP Program Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) is at the heart of PLD’s offering. Every resource we create is intended to scaffold, support, and […]

By Diana Rigg

18/01/2021

Parent Education Nights are a key way for educators to share tips on how parents can prepare their children for school and what they will learn. Typically conducted on an annual […]

By Diana Rigg

08/09/2020

Five From Five, AUSPELD and Learning Difficulties Australia have collaborated to create an evidence-based framework for schools which aims to dramatically reduce the number of children who finish primary school […]

By Diana Rigg

09/06/2020

Recently, we released our brand new Phonic & Sight Word Sequence Charts. Rather than focusing on individual HFW lists, we amalgamated the words that occurred in a range of lists […]

By Diana Rigg

14/05/2020

PLD’s unique approach scaffolds children to learn more high-frequency words with less effort by teaching the right words at the right time and in the right way. Following an extensive literature […]

By Diana Rigg

30/04/2020

We anticipate at PLD that all schools will have reduced attendance at the beginning and possibly throughout Term 2. As each week in the school year is precious, the following […]

By Diana Rigg

16/04/2020

What are Elkonin Boxes: Elkonin boxes or sound boxes are a teaching tool used to represent each sound or phoneme contained in a word (Elkonin, 1963). A series of connected […]

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Literacy Blogs

Universal Similarities in Structured Synthetic Phonics Sequences

Important Updates to My SSP Kit Online

PLD & The Year 1 Phonics Check

Term 2 Teaching Tips Videos

PLD & Literacy Hub Resources – Information for
Queensland Schools

Print-to-Speech & Speech-to-Print.
What’s the Difference?

How Much Should Children Read Aloud Each Day?

The Differentiation Dilemma: Why Targeted Teaching is the Key to True Explicit Instruction

Term 3 Teaching Tips Videos

How To Teach Blending – Continuous or Discontinuous Phonation for Blending Sounds Together?

How to Use Phonic Dictation Passages at Home as Decodable Reading Material

Decodable Readers: Everything For Teachers and Parents To Know About Decodable Reading Books For Faster Literacy

Literacy Development In Childhood and Primary School [Everything For Teachers and Parents To Know]

Phonic Sound Walls & Structured Synthetic Phonics Programs

Resources for Running a Successful Parent Education Night

The Primary Reading Pledge

Phonic and Sight Word Sequence Charts – Your frequently asked questions

PLD’s Approach to High Frequency Words

Term 2 screening during COVID-19

How to Use Elkonin Boxes as Part of a SSP Program?

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