Otago Literacy Symposium

Have you registered yet?

We would love to see you at our upcoming workshop - Drama for Learning Across the Curriculum.

This session is suitable for kaiako in ECE and primary settings. Sarah and Alice will introduce you to a variety of drama conventions and approaches from short ‘drama moments’ to longer, integrated units of work. You will come away brimming with ideas and ready to add a bit of drama spice into your teaching practice!

Thursday 30th April
3.30 - 5.30
Afternoon tea provided
Register here: https://forms.gle/Hh9CKG16fGQ9Nog46

We hope the holidays are going well!

Registrations for the Ōtepoti Literacy Challenge are rolling in and we'd love to get books sent out to all schools in the first two weeks of term. If you haven't signed up yet it's not to late. Gather a team of four students and come along for a fun, fast-paced event celebrating reading, writing and teamwork.

When: Thursday 25th June
Where: Tahuna Normal Intermediate
Rounds for:
• Year 3–4
• Year 5–6
• Year 7–8

Cost: $30 per team - includes a copy of the novel being used in the book challenge section

Start selecting your teams now and get them registered by the start of term 2 as places are limited!

Register here: https://forms.gle/1pRhgzoPYK9hCGM98
Can't wait to see you soon!

Otago Literacy Association PLD - From Talk to Text

We’re excited to kick off the year with From Talk to Text: Preparing Students for Writing through Literacy Foundations and Morphology, led by the fantastic Joy Allcock and Lauren Latimer.

These practical, engaging workshops are designed to support kaiako and teachers as we begin unpacking the writing component of the refreshed English Curriculum. From building strong oral language and early literacy foundations in ECE, to explicit morphology teaching across Phase 1–3, this PLD is all about hitting the ground running in 2026.

When: Thursday 26 February
Where: College of Education staffroom, 145 Union Street East, Dunedin
Time: Two workshops available – 3.30 and/or 5.45

We’re especially excited to welcome ECE kaiako alongside school teachers for rich cross-sector learning and shared conversations about writing development.

Register here: https://forms.gle/RYLXPsSyATsTKHPp9
Full details in the flier below.

Please share with your colleagues — we’d love to see you there!

NZLA conference 2027 - Ōtepoti/Dunedin

Thank you to those who have shared their feedback already. We’re beginning early planning for the NZLA Conference 2027, which we are proudly hosting here in Ōtepoti. We’d love to gather ideas, suggestions, and big-picture thinking from the people who know literacy best ...you! As a thank you for completing the survey, all people who include their email address will go into a draw for a $30 NW voucher. We will add you to our conference mail-out and keep you up to date with further conference information during 2026 and 2027. The draw will be done on Monday 15th December, 2025.

If you have thoughts on themes, keynote speakers, workshops, partnerships, or anything you’d love to see showcased, please take a moment to share them with us. Your insights will help shape a conference that genuinely reflects our region and serves educators across Aotearoa.

Please fill in the survey here - https://forms.gle/LVtyhLZ9JuWLS6ZBA

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Ngā mihi nui,
Otago Literacy Association Team

NZLA conference 2027 - Ōtepoti/Dunedin Kia ora and thank you for taking the time to support our planning for the 2027 NZLA Annual Literacy Conference in beautiful Ōtepoti/Dunedin! This will be at the start of the term 3 holidays. We're in the early stages of crafting a conference that will celebrate literacy, spark new thinking, honour ...

Have you registered yet? Join us online next week for this webinar with literacy expert Professor Rebecca Jesson - What teachers need to know about writing.
Writing isn’t a subject with neat boundaries—it’s creative, messy, and deeply human. Join Rebecca as she unpacks what it means to be a knowledge-rich teacher of writing, exploring the many sources of knowledge that help teachers interpret the curriculum, monitor learning, and respond with confidence.
Don’t miss this thought-provoking session for anyone passionate about the craft (and complexity!) of teaching writing.
Register now and be inspired!
Thursday 6th November 2025, 4:00 (NZST zone)
Register here: https://forms.gle/oHhAciLjb9hApUKw8

Calling all Otago Teachers!
The Otago Literacy Association Poetry Competition 2025 is now open!
This year’s theme is “Connection” — a chance for tamariki to share their voice and creativity with a real audience.

-Amazing prizes
-Winning poems published and shared with schools
-Judged by a guest NZ author

Give your students a genuine purpose for their writing and help them shine beyond the classroom! 🌟
Entries close Thursday 18 September 2025.

Email entries to: [email protected]

This will be a great webinar! Sarah always has practical ideas and a particular takeaway from her recent one day workshop for the Otago Literacy Association was around student engagement and agency.

Our webinar series continues in term 3.
Join us for a thought provoking session with leading play pedagogy expert Dr. Sarah Aiono as she shows how writing can flourish through play! Discover how authentic writing experiences can spark creativity, critical thinking, and a genuine love of literacy.

Register now and be inspired!
Thursday 21 August 2025, 4:00 (NZST zone)
Register here: https://forms.gle/QGP65Q19UBjGN6iZ6

Kia ora koutou,

Thank you so much for your support of our Otago Literacy Symposium since our first one in 2017! We really value the passion and commitment of educators like you who make time for professional learning.

Unfortunately, due to low registration numbers and the growing demands on teachers this year—including the PD required for the new English and Maths curricula—we’ve made the tough decision to cancel this year’s event.

We know this will be disappointing, and we’re so grateful for your understanding. Like many of you, our committee members are also teachers feeling the pressure of current changes. After a pause this year (and possibly next), we hope to bring the Symposium back stronger in the future.

There are some exciting literacy events happening in terms 3 & 4 - see you all soon!

Ngā mihi nui,
The Otago Literacy Association Team

P.s - for those looking for maths PLD have you heard about the maths conference being held here in Ōtepoti... check out the details here - https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/NZAMT25/home.html

Registrations close this Saturday, 31st May for the following two events.

Otago Literacy Symposium

Have you registered for the Otago Literacy Symposium 2025 yet? We have two amazing keynote speakers and local educators to inspire and motivate us!

Checkout Christine and Rob's keynote and workshop blurbs on the attached flyers.
Monday 30th June and Tuesday 1st July @ Silverstream School
Registrations are open - https://forms.gle/eNMLVMh4ooJavzbYA

But wait there is more...

Transforming Literacy in Play-Based Learning Environments with Dr Sarah Aiono
Saturday June 7th @ St Clair School - 10:00am - 3:00pm
Register here https://forms.gle/R5YUZtsEQdjDXTVU6

We look forward to seeing you and your team at our upcoming events.

The workshop presenters blurbs are starting to come in! Check out some of the workshops on offer...

🧠 Understanding DLD – Learn how to recognise and support students with Developmental Language Disorder across the curriculum.

🔬 Literacy in Science – Discover how structured literacy and explicit teaching can be woven into science while nurturing scientific thinking.

🗣️ The Power of Talk – Explore how rich, intentional classroom dialogue builds deep literacy skills—and enjoy some laugh-out-loud anecdotes along the way!

🎤 Weekly Speeches & Curiosity Club – Fun, low-pressure ways to grow oral language skills and build student confidence, while keeping whānau connected through Seesaw.

🧟‍♀️ Frankenstories – A creative, collaborative digital writing programme that supports the English curriculum and sparks imagination.

🤖 GenAI & mathematics – Explore how generative AI tools can support and enrich mathematics teaching and learning in the classroom.

🎨 Return to Paradise – A hands-on, Pacific-inspired art and storytelling session to explore identity, culture, and creativity.

📖 Sophisticated Picture Books – Use rich picture books to spark deep thinking, discussion, and powerful writing with your ākonga.

🔍 Critical Literacy & Te Mātaiaho – Dive into the 'Do' of critical literacy using diverse texts and practical strategies.

➕ Early Years Maths & Te Whāriki – Take a journey through early numeracy with an indigenous lens, using Kōwhiti whakapae to guide rich, meaningful maths learning in the early years.

🤖 GenAI & Literacy – Explore how generative AI tools can support and enrich literacy learning in the classroom.

🔠 Dyslexia Demystified – Using The New Zealand Dyslexia Handbook, this session offers accessible screening tools, practical strategies, and literacy supports to help every learner thrive.

Join us to learn, laugh, and leave with fresh ideas to energise your teaching! 🌟

Monday 30th June and Tuesday 1st July @ Silverstream School
Registrations are open - https://forms.gle/eNMLVMh4ooJavzbYA