Across Years 0–10, English takes students on an increasingly rich journey through language and texts that grow in depth and complexity over time. Teaching builds foundational skills in oral language, reading, and writing through structured literacy approaches, and deepens students’ understanding of how texts are crafted, how language shapes meaning, and how stories reflect diverse perspectives from New Zealand and the wider world.
In Years 0–3, teaching builds on early childhood learning by developing foundational oral language, reading, and writing skills through structured literacy approaches. Oral language is a key focus, supporting students to express ideas and understand others. Teachers introduce shared language codes and conventions such as phonics, grammar, punctuation, and text structure, which underpin reading comprehension and written expression. Explicit instruction in letter formation supports fluency and confidence in writing. Through reading, creating, and sharing texts, teachers foster connection, understanding, and a love of language. Students are supported to make connections between texts and their own experiences and begin to explore how texts can be interpreted in different ways. This lays the groundwork for critical analysis and literacy across the curriculum.
In Years 4–6, teaching strengthens students’ literacy as a foundation for learning across all areas. Structured literacy approaches continue, with a shift in emphasis to components that take longer to develop, such as vocabulary and comprehension. Teachers create regular opportunities for oral language use to support knowledge-building through discussion. Reading instruction consolidates word recognition, deepens comprehension, and introduces critical analysis of context and purpose. Students explore written, oral, visual, and, from Year 6, digital and media texts. Writing instruction supports increasing accuracy, creativity, and purpose, with attention to how language conventions shift depending on context, audience, and purpose. Through purposeful text selection and discussion, teachers help students explore how stories shape understanding of people, places, and ideas.