A Need for Literacy Intervention
In New Zealand, literacy rates have been a growing concern, with only 56% of year eight students meeting expected reading levels and just 35% meeting writing expectations, according to Education Minister Erica Stanford. In response, the government has committed $67 million to the implementation of structured literacy programs. However, there remains uncertainty among educators about what this means in practice.
Background
It is widely recognised that students who have been identified as struggling with literacy rarely catch up with their peers, despite remedial help, which in some cases, lasts for years.
Schools quite justifiably blame this situation on resourcing and battle year after year to improve things for their learners. However, this situation is currently unsatisfactory for several reasons:
What is an RTLB?
An RTLB is a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour. This is a specialist teacher employed by the Ministry of Education (MoE) New Zealand who supports students with learning or behavioural needs in Years 1-10. They work with students and their families, as well as teachers and schools to provide targeted support and improve educational outcomes.
Exploring a Proven Structured Literacy Approach
In 2023, a two-term independent study was conducted by RTLB 6 in 6 Primary Schools in West Auckland. The study set out to assess the impact of structured literacy approaches on literacy outcomes using StepsWeb.
The goal was to show how the needs of struggling students can be met with a different approach, even within the same resourcing constraints. The approach was geared towards:
In addition to assessing literacy progress, a specialist analysis was conducted by Dr Heidi Leeson, a specialist researcher and the founder of Monocle Education, which helps schools develop the social and emotional learning of their students. Dr Leeson’s study with the same students aimed to identify links between developing literacy success and key aspects of social and emotional wellbeing.
A Collaborative Effort Between RTLB, Teachers, and StepsWeb
The study involved whole year-groups, integrating StepsWeb into daily instruction over six months.
All students in the chosen year-groups were tested on StepsWeb and in consultation with class teachers at the beginning of the study. The aims of the testing were as follows:
Tier 3 students (moderate needs): Used workbooks as well as online activities
Tier 4 students (high needs): Remedial groups of 4 students, using online activities, workbooks and supporting activities.
Progress in reading fluency was measured by the Visual Recognition Test on StepsWeb.
Students were tested again in the same way at the end of the 20-week period.
Intended Impact
By identifying struggling students early and assigning them to the appropriate tier, educators in the study can allocate the resources necessary to effectively catch up struggling students, while also maintaining consistent progress for learners who are at a higher literacy level.
Teacher Training and Support
We strongly recommended teachers complete the online Essential Core Skills Course on their StepsWeb logins. The teachers were also given guidance on monitoring student progress, including completing their Weekly Goals and receiving appropriate support when necessary.
Literacy Progress:
The average literacy gain across the six schools was 14 months of progress in just six months—more than double the expected rate.
On average, students gained 14 months in spelling age after using StepsWeb consistently for just 6 months.
Their average visual recognition speed (indicator of reading fluency) improved by 51%.
The six month period included 20 school weeks. Exact start and end dates varied slightly between schools.
Results for each school:
These graphs show student progress across the study period. Test 1 represents results from a standardised spelling test completed at the beginning of the study, while Test 2 shows results from a spelling test taken at the end. The light blue bars illustrate each student's improvement between the two tests.
Spelling Age (SA) is measured from 5 years upwards. Scores below 5 years are not generated by the test. The y-axis on all charts below begin at 5 years.
Chaucer School – Summary of Findings
Chaucer’s data shows measurable improvement from the first to the second assessment. Gains were visible across lower-, mid-, and higher-achieving learners. While individual progress varied, the cohort results indicates steady progress overall.
These outcomes suggest that the intervention was accessible and beneficial across a range of starting points, supporting incremental progress for the whole group.
Fruitvale School – Summary of Findings
Fruitvale School shows measurable progress in spelling age over the assessment period. Improvements occurred across the full range of starting levels, with gains visible for both lower- and higher-achieving learners. Some individuals made significant gains, often exceeding one year of progress.
Overall, these findings suggest that the intervention supported steady progress across the cohort, with positive movement evident at all performance levels and some individuals exceeding typical growth expectations by a substantial margin.
Glenavon School – Summary of Findings
Glenavon’s data displays consistent improvement across all classes. Most students began within a similar spelling-age range, and almost all showed gains of approximately 0.5–1.5 years by the second test.
These results suggest that the intervention functioned effectively as a whole-class literacy support tool, with broadly distributed benefits.
Laingholm School – Summary of Findings
The data from Laingholm School shows upward movement from the initial test to the end-of-study assessment. Gains were evident for students across all starting levels, including those with lower initial spelling ages and those already performing at higher levels. Several students demonstrated substantial progress, while the wider cohort showed generally consistent improvement.
The results suggest that the intervention supported ongoing development even among students already performing at a high level.
Prospect School – Summary of Findings
Prospect School’s data indicates that students across a range of starting levels experienced measurable progress. A subset of students who began at mid-to-higher spelling ages showed particularly marked gains, while lower-achieving students also demonstrated steady improvement. The overall distribution of results reflects a balanced pattern of growth, with no clear evidence of regression.
This suggests positive responsiveness to the intervention across diverse learner profiles.
St Leonards School – Summary of Findings
St Leonards provided the largest dataset, with 84 students, offering a substantial dataset from which to observe trends. Despite many students starting at higher spelling ages (9–12+), the majority still showed significant gains, often around 1 year or more. Improvements were typically moderate but consistent, contributing to a general upward shift in overall performance.
The findings point toward effective implementation at scale, with evidence of both general cohort improvement and notable individual progress.
Dr Heidi Leeson’s study looked at three key aspects of social and emotional learning:
A limitation of this study was the extent to which students were able to complete their recommended weekly number of StepsWeb activities.
StepsWeb allocates either 10 or 20 activities per week as a Weekly Goal which is determined by the Spelling Placement Test. This identifies the difference between a student's spelling age and chronological age. Students are allocated a higher number of activities if they require more reinforcement to catch up.
We recommend educators ensure their students complete their Weekly Goals to see optimal progress. 64% of the students who participated in this study met at least half of their Weekly Goals. The graphs presented here only show students who completed at least half of their Weekly Goals across the 20 weeks.
There are multiple ways to monitor Weekly Goal progress, including:
StepsWeb progress is closely linked to regular practice, therefore insufficient usage represents a potential barrier to achieving optimal results. This does not indicate a lack of effort from students or teachers; rather, it highlights the challenges schools can face in embedding a new program alongside existing routines, systems, and classroom demands.
StepsWeb provides free online guidance with training on monitoring student progress and implementing the program effectively. Despite this, teachers often do not have the time to learn a new program on top of their existing workloads.
Considerations for Implementation
It's important to keep in mind that StepsWeb can actually save time for educators, provided they invest the time to learn how to use the program effectively.
To support more reliable outcomes in future implementations it is beneficial for schools to:
To learn more about how StepsWeb saves educators' time, we recommend this article: StepsWeb's top 10 time-saving tips
These findings highlight the importance of implementation support, especially during the initial stages of adopting a new literacy intervention and should not be interpreted as shortcomings on the part of participating teachers or schools.
The results presented in this report illustrate the level of progress that can be achieved when students meet at least half of their Weekly Goals.
The study conclusively showed that the structured literacy approach provided by StepsWeb and its supporting materials catered for all learners within each year-group, including those with neuro-diverse needs and English language learners.
It also highlighted the links between literacy attainment and emotional well-being. This emphasises the need to provide evidence-based solutions which empower learners, reduce inequities and support teachers to meet individual needs within their classes.
Implications for Education
The findings from this study reinforce the value of using StepsWeb as part of a structured literacy approach to address a diverse range of literacy needs. As the government mandates structured literacy programs, this study offers critical insights into how programs like StepsWeb, which is developed here in New Zealand, can be successfully implemented across entire school populations—not just for struggling learners, but for all students.
Going Forward
This study demonstrates the potential of structured literacy to drive significant improvements in literacy outcomes while promoting student well-being. StepsWeb’s inclusive approach provides an evidence-based solution that empowers learners, reduces gaps, and supports schools in achieving widespread literacy success.
