Better Start Literacy Approach

The Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) is an evidence-based framework for facilitating early literacy success in young tamariki. Successful implementation of the BSLA requires literacy professionals skilled in supporting kaiako and kura to implement the assessment and teaching through a coaching and mentoring model.

Suitable professionals include Resource Teachers for Literacy, Resource Teachers for Learning and Behaviour, Speech Language Therapists or other literacy specialists.Completion of this course will provide participants with all the skills and resources required to lead the implementation of the BSLA in their chosen kura, kāhui ako or cluster.

Facilitators need to partner with 2-3 Year 0/1/2 teachers, in order to complete the requirements of the training. Partner school/s must be declared at the time of registration.

Activities and time requirements for Facilitators

For details on the activities and time requirements for Facilitators during the microcredential training, click here.

Ministry of Education Funded Places

Funding covers:

• Microcredential fee

• Reasonable travel and accommodation costs to a 2-day workshop.    

• Resource kete

• Access to all online resources, lesson plans, game activities, assessments, data analysis and reporting.

Applications for MoE funding for Cohort 7 open 27th October 2023 and close 17th November 2023.  Schools will be advised of the outcome by 1st December 2023 and participants will then need to apply to enrol with the University.  Enrolments close for this Cohort 7 course 15th December 2023.

Privately Funded Places (limited to 10 each cohort)

Cost:

• The microcredential fee, resource kete, access to online resources, lesson plans, game activities, assessments, data analysis and reporting. The exact fee is available on enquiry to askbsla@canterbury.ac.nz
• Costs to attend 1 x 2 day face-to-face workshop.  There is typically a workshop in the North Island and one in the South Island. Some accommodation subsidies may be available.

Effective literacy teaching in a child’s first year at school can set them on a pathway to later academic and life success. The Better Start Literacy Approach incorporates the best practices for literacy teaching in phonological awareness, letter sound knowledge and oral language, with small group reading using a systematic reading series.

This course provides a practice-focused learning experience of evidence-based literacy instruction to ensure success for all early learners. Extensive coaching and mentoring support will be provided through a partnership with a Facilitator in your community.

The microcredential includes access to online, self-directed learning covering all aspects of the approach. In addition, teachers will gain access to the approach’s online assessment and teaching materials, including resources and lesson plans for classroom and small group reading teaching using the Ready to Read – Phonics Plus early readers.

Any teacher wanting to complete this microcredential must be partnered with a new or previously trained Facilitator, whose name must be declared at the time of registration.

Activities and time requirements for Teachers

For details on the activities and time requirements for Teachers during the microcredential training, click here.

Ministry Funded Places

Funding covers:

• Microcredential fee
• 2 x days of teacher release
• Resource kete
• Access to all online resources, lesson plans, game activities, assessments, data analysis and reporting.
• Coaching and mentoring from a BSLA Facilitator

Applications for MoE funding for Cohort 7 open 27th October 2023 and close 17th November 2023.  Schools will be advised of the outcome by 1st December 2023 and participants will then need to apply to enrol with the University.  Enrolments close for this Cohort 7 course 15th December 2023.

Privately Funded Places

Cost:

• The microcredential fee, resource kete, online resources, lesson plans, game activities, assessments and data analysis and reporting - excluding oral language assessment fee. The exact fee is available on enquiry to askbsla@canterbury.ac.nz
• Schools supporting teachers to complete this microcredential are recommended to fund two days of teacher release time to support training and planning of the approach.

Supporting classroom teachers to implement high quality, evidence-based literacy teaching is part of an important role played by Teacher Aides. This course provides all the knowledge required to support the assessment and implementation of the Better Start Literacy Approach in New Entrant/Year 1 classrooms.

Teacher Aides must be partnered with a teacher (or teachers) who is currently or has previously completed the BSLA Teacher microcredential, and this must be declared at the time of enrolment.

Cost

Cost is $300 per person (includes microcredential fee, access to all BSLA online resources, lesson plans game activities and assessments). Please note this fee does not cover the cost of a resource kete or oral language transcription and analysis for additional students beyond those allocated to the funded teacher/s the Teacher Aide is partnered with.

Undertaking this microcredential is not part of the Ministry of Education professional learning funded package, but would provide excellent support to the class teachers implementing the BSLA, and is an outstanding professional learning opportunity for teacher aides.

Course Dates

Course dates for Cohort 7 will be from from TBC.

Please note this end date is the latest date for the course to be completed; some TAs will be able to complete course requirements before this date as this is dependent on the classroom teacher they are working with.

Enrolments

Enrolments for the teacher aide micro-credential Cohort 7 course will open up in 2024. Details to be confirmed.