Evidence of CSP in 2025 NZC

• CSPractices (in bold) 

• My commentary in purple 

Purpose Statement

In the English learning area, students study, use, and engage with language and texts.

The English learning area enables students to access the thoughts and perspectives of others, to walk in different worlds, and to broaden their horizons by experiencing others’ values, ideas, and viewpoints. (Teachers could use the student's own backgrounds as a source for this in addition to sources outside of student experiences.)  Exploring texts from different times and places helps students to see how some ideas and language change, while others stay the same. Making meaning of texts provides opportunities for students to strengthen their knowledge and understanding of different perspectives from Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider world.

As text critics, students come to understand how language and texts work and how they change over time, giving them the knowledge and skills to interpret and challenge texts (This is important for developing critical thinking skills when encountering information outside of student experience. ) and to create their own meaningful texts. As text creators, students are encouraged to see themselves as members of literary and digital communities, by contributing their own stories and ideas and interpreting the stories and ideas of others. (This is enriching all, and contributes to the knowledge and experiences of all students in a setting.) 

The English learning area offers meaningful opportunities for students to connect with and use their languages, including te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), and their diverse cultural knowledge as resources for learning. The use and development of first and heritage languages enable stronger language and literacy learning and can lead to improved educational outcomes and wellbeing for multilingual learners. (underlining mine) 

Literacy in English is critical for students to be able to engage successfully with all curriculum learning areas. Being literate and mastering the foundations of oral and written language enable students to be confident and competent learners across the curriculum. (Again, leading to  improved educational outcomes as above.)

The English learning area plays an important part in developing students’ capacities to think critically and express themselves coherently, fluently, and ethically as active members of society. (Equity for all learners.)

Strands

The teaching sequences of the first two phases weave together the progress outcome content with three strands: oral language, reading, and writing. (A common misunderstanding is that structured literacy approaches are artificial and stilted. This integration of content areas is best practice in any language teaching and present in many other language learning settings, where language is taught though oral language, reading and writing concurrently). This reflects the critical focus on structured literacy approaches in the first six years of school.

Oral language

The focus of this strand is on teaching students to speak and listen effectively. The term ‘oral language’ refers to any method of communication a child uses as a first language; (underlining mine)  this includes spoken languages, (note plural)  New Zealand Sign Language, and alternative and augmentative communication (AAC). It also encompasses expressions such as vocalisations, gestures, movements, and images.

This strand acknowledges that strong oral language is the cornerstone of learning and is crucial for success across all learning areas. (There are great opportunities to harness the oral languages of multilingual students; they in fact hold an advantage over those with one language Note 2). Although everyday language develops naturally in a rich environment, mastering complex academic and formal language and communication skills requires explicit teaching and practice. (Important to note that this (advantageous) academic language is not naturally acquired and cannot be left to chance) Reading and writing instruction and learning experiences across the curriculum provide opportunities for both incidental and planned teaching of language and communication skills.

Reading

The focus of this strand is on teaching students to decode, make meaning from, and think critically about text. It also provides opportunities for them to develop a love of reading and to value the ways in which reading widely can enrich their lives. As text critics, students come to understand how language and texts work, enabling them to challenge texts. By exploring texts from New Zealand, the Pacific, and around the world, students gain insights into themselves and others. (underlining mine) 

Writing

The focus of this strand is on teaching students to write for a variety of purposes, following the codes, conventions, and structures that enable others to understand what they have written. It also aims to foster a love of writing.

Teaching guidance

Key characteristics of how people learn have informed the development of the English learning area. (This is what is referred to as the Science of Learning) These characteristics are:

• We learn best when we experience a sense of belonging in the learning environment and feel valued and supported. 

• A new idea or concept is always interpreted through, and learned in association with, existing knowledge. 

• Establishing knowledge in a well-organised way in long-term memory reduces students’ cognitive load when building on that knowledge. It also enables them to apply and transfer the knowledge. 

• Our social and emotional wellbeing directly impacts on our ability to learn new knowledge. 

• Motivation is critical for wellbeing and engagement in learning.4

All five characteristics are interconnected in a dynamic way. They are always only pieces of the whole, so it is critical to consider them all together. The dynamic and individual nature of learning explains why we see individual learners develop along different paths and at different rates.

Developing a comprehensive teaching and learning programme

A comprehensive English learning area programme needs the following components:

• explicit teaching 

• structured literacy approaches 

• inclusive teaching and learning 

• developing positive identities as communicators, readers, and writers 

• working with texts.

Explicit teaching

Explicit teaching is a structured, carefully sequenced approach to teaching. The sequencing of content is thought out and broken down into manageable steps, each of which is clearly and concisely explained and modelled by the teacher. Explicit teaching requires a high level of teacher-student interaction, guided student practice, and, when proficiency is achieved, independent practice.  (Note that explicit teaching - a hallmark of structured literacy teaching practice,  is not prescriptive, boring, stilted or unnatural, rather it encourages high student interaction and involvement, leading to well embedded learning and higher levels of student wellbeing due to increased independence in learning. )  Explicit teaching supports cumulative learning as new knowledge is built on what students already know. Teachers provide multiple opportunities for practising, reviewing, consolidating, and using previous learning alongside new learning. (Good teaching will always draw on student background and knowledge) . Explicit teaching takes account of cognitive overload. With sufficient practice, new learning is transferred to long-term memory. This frees up working memory, opening up opportunities for extension, enrichment, and new learning. Explicit teaching is strongly interactive – it is not simply teacher talk. It includes rich discussions between teachers and students and amongst students, to check on understanding. Teachers adapt the pace of their teaching in response to students’ progress. They engage students in creative and challenging tasks to foster motivation and engagement.

Explicit teaching involves: 

• connecting the current focus to previous learning 

• providing concise, step-by-step explanations, accompanied by student input and discussion 

• explaining, modelling, and demonstrating

• regularly checking for understanding and providing feedback 

• providing opportunities for collaborative and independent practice.

Structured literacy approaches

Structured literacy approaches support students to develop strong literacy foundations in a way that maximises their progress and manages the cognitive load inherent in learning. For the purposes of oral language, reading, and writing, these approaches include:

• speech and language, encompassing any method of communication a student uses, including communication modes such as New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) 

• phonemic awareness (awareness and use of the sounds within words  - this occurs in all spoken languages, teachers can use phonemic awareness knowledge in the home language to make links to English language learning.) 

• systematic synthetic phonics teaching and knowledge to develop decoding and spelling skills 

• handwriting 

• vocabulary (Can make connections and note similarities and differences between English vocabulary and other language vocabulary.)

• morphology (the study of how  prefixes, suffixes, and root words interact to convey various meanings enhancing their vocabulary and improving language comprehension - connections between other languages can be made). 

• syntax (how words combine to form phrases and sentences - there will be similarities and differences across languages.)

• fluency (increased fluency is directly linked to increased comprehension) 

• text structure 

• writing processes 

• comprehension. (make links to concepts in different cultural backgrounds as needed) 

These elements are reflected in the content of the teaching sequences and teaching considerations. Systematically and explicitly teaching these elements to novice learners strengthens their understanding, helps to manage their cognitive load, and maximises their progress in acquiring literacy.

Inclusive teaching and learning

All students learn best when they have a strong sense of belonging and feel valued and supported. Awareness that students vary in their strengths and needs helps teachers create welcoming, responsive, and inclusive environments that nurture students’ learning, identities, languages, and cultures. (underlining mine) 

Because students engage with learning, process information, and demonstrate knowledge in diverse ways, teachers design experiences that allow students to participate in a range of ways. Inclusive frameworks like Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua, integrate flexible supports into day-to-day teaching and learning. They enable teachers to create environments that acknowledge and address the needs and strengths of all students. Explicitly teaching essential knowledge and skills and addressing barriers to learning provides equitable access to language and literacy learning.

Teachers support students to connect with and use their languages, including te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), and their cultural knowledge as resources to progress their learning. The use and development of students’ first and heritage languages enable stronger language and literacy learning and can lead to improved educational and wellbeing outcomes for multilingual learners. Students express their languages in various ways when they engage with the English learning area, (underlining mine) including augmentative and alternative communication, Braille, gestures, and other visual supports. Acknowledging this fosters an inclusive and effective learning environment, supporting the diverse needs and strengths of all students.  (underlining mine)

Teachers can use the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) and ELLP Pathway to plan targeted language support for new learners of English. These help to support both their social communication skills and their academic language proficiency in English. This is particularly important because the academic language demands of the eight learning areas increase with successive phases.  (underlining mine)

Developing positive identities as communicators, readers, and writers

Learning is enhanced when students have success and feel positive about their learning.

If students feel anxious, they have fewer cognitive resources available for learning. Teachers can help to manage students’ anxiety about their learning by helping them to understand that literacy development is dynamic and non-linear. Literacy learning may include periods of rapid improvement, as well as periods of revisiting and refining skills. It does not always follow an even, sequential progression of learning.

Students develop positive identities as communicators, readers, and writers by recognising and valuing the use of literacy in their lives. This is enhanced when they explore texts that reflect their identities, cultures, interests, and preferences, and especially when they choose what they read and write. Developing positive identities also involves creativity in exploring ideas in texts and in crafting and sharing texts.  (underlining mine)

Students may enjoy word play; participate in rich, extended conversations; share books, stories, and poems; invite their families to share stories; encourage one another to share favourite texts; visit public and school libraries; and suggest topics for writing. They should be encouraged to respect one another’s ideas and to express their opinions as readers and writers.

Working with texts

Working with text is at the core of English.

Texts can be in a range of language modes (e.g., written, oral, and visual modes) and use a range of technologies (e.g., print and digital). Multimodal texts such as film and digital media combine language with other means of communication, such as images or a soundtrack. Texts are also generated using augmentative and alternative communication (e.g., gestures and picture symbols) and Braille.

How texts are used as well as how they are chosen are important considerations for teaching in English.

Different texts make different demands on their creators and users. Typically, as students progress in their learning, they work with a broader range of text forms and engage with increasingly complex texts. This does not mean that, for instance, fluent readers will no longer work with simple texts; rather, they will have a broader range of texts to work with.

Students need to develop certain skills, knowledge, and attitudes if they are to meet the reading and writing demands of the curriculum. Although reading and writing are described in separate strands in the first three phases of learning, they are often used together in English and across the learning areas. Texts that students read are used as models for writing, and their writing is often a response to what they have read.

Teachers select texts based on their knowledge of their students and of the learning purposes. These could include:

• texts that are decodable (phonically controlled), when the primary purpose is practising grapheme-phoneme correspondences they have recently been taught (promoting equitable access to knowledge) 

• texts that have rich language, when the primary purposes are building students’ enjoyment of reading, vocabulary, knowledge of text structures, and comprehension skills (e.g., sophisticated picture books, classic and contemporary literature, stories from Aotearoa New Zealand that include kupu Māori, stories from the Pacific, and stories from around the world) 

• texts that model the modes, conventions, or structures being taught (e.g., prose, poetry, plays, and novels) 

• texts that are relevant to students’ current learning and allow for a variety of interpretations and responses, multiple perspectives, and global, national, and local contexts (e.g., information texts and narrative texts by local, New Zealand, Pacific, and international writers)

• texts that provide multiple entry points with the purpose of exploring a concept rather than learning to read or write (e.g., sophisticated picture books and texts that explore similar ideas using different modes) 

• texts that allow for exploration, reflection, and discussion of how text creators use techniques to persuade or influence, and the impact of these on different people 

• texts that allow for exploring the use of language over time and in different places (e.g., by comparing contemporary and historical texts or texts from different countries).

It is important to include texts that reflect the identities and cultures of students, or that provide windows into different places, times, and cultures (e.g., prose, poetry, plays, novels, contemporary and historical texts, stories from New Zealand, the Pacific, and around the world). Making meaning of these texts provides opportunities to strengthen students’ knowledge and understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand perspectives. (underlining mine)

Texts may include those that students have created themselves and texts from their families and communities. Texts are also generated using Braille, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) such as gestures and picture symbols.