In our classroom, we use the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA). This is a special way of learning to read, spell, and write that is backed by New Zealand research. It focuses on making sure every child has a "better start" by building strong foundations.

What does this look like in our room?

Every day, we work on three big things:

• Phonological Awareness: We play with sounds! We learn how to break words apart, blend sounds together, and identify the "tricky" parts of words.

• Phonics & Spelling: We use our "Ready to Read" Phonics books. These books help us practice the specific letter sounds we are learning that week.

• Oral Language & Vocabulary: We don't just read the words; we talk about them. We learn new vocabulary to make our talking and writing more exciting.

Why are we doing it?

We are using BSLA because we want every single tamaiti to feel like a confident reader. Whether they are reading a comic, a recipe, or a giant chapter book, these lessons give them the tools to figure out any word they come across.