language literacy and early childhood education

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

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

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

24/07/2026

What does PLD recommend when catering for strong spellers and students achieving high scores in subsequent PLD Stages? PLD recommends that teachers avoid accelerating students through the Stages. Instead, we […]

By Diana Rigg

05/05/2026

As the Science of Reading takes its rightful place in Australian classrooms, many traditional literacy practices are being scrutinised. The “Look, Cover, Say, Write, Check” (LCSWC) method is often at […]

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

09/04/2026

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) 8th Edition is a norm-referenced assessment used to assess reading skills from the beginning of schooling through the end of eighth […]

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

12/09/2024

What Junior Primary Font Does PLD Recommend? At PLD we advocate for the use of a foundation font when learning to read, spell and write. Based on our experience across […]

By Diana Rigg

10/04/2024

In a recent blog post, What is Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP)?, we delved into how SSP provides a clear and structured pathway for developing literacy skills in students. But why […]

By Diana Rigg

10/04/2024

What is a Structured Synthetic Phonics Approach? A structured synthetic phonics (SSP) approach emphasises the relationship between sounds and their written symbols as being integral to developing reading and writing […]

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.

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language literacy and early childhood education Blogs

Universal Similarities in Structured Synthetic Phonics Sequences

PLD & The Year 1 Phonics Check

Important Updates to My SSP Kit Online

How to Cater for Students Working Above Their Year Level

Don’t Ditch the Method, Fix the Lists: Transforming “Look, Cover, Say, Write, Check” for the Science of Reading

PLD & Literacy Hub Resources – Information for
Queensland Schools

How DIBELS Testing Aligns to PLD Programs & Processes

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

How Much Should Children Read Aloud Each Day?

The Foundation vs Cursive Font Controversy

The Importance of Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) in Primary School Education

What is Structured Synthetic Phonics?

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

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