What is Little Learners Love Literacy?

A research-based, explicit phonics programme used in many New Zealand primary schools. It teaches children the 44 sounds of English in a carefully sequenced way, introducing letters in phonics order rather than alphabetical order so children can start building real words as quickly as possible.

What letters are in Stage 1 of Little Learners Love Literacy?

The first eight: m, s, f, a, p, t, c and i — each with a character, from Milo the Monkey and Sally the Snake to Izzy the Insect. Once children know these, they can start decoding their first real words.

What does a Year 1 first term report say in New Zealand?

Jin's covered her phonics stage, how she works (focusing well, forming letters carefully, enjoying phonics sessions), how she joins class discussions, and her next steps: building confidence to share more, and counting on from random numbers rather than always starting from one.

Year 1 Term Report in NZ: Little Learners Love Literacy

MHJ — Little Learners Love Literacy Info Block

MHJ ENGLISH GUIDE 2026

Little Learners Love Literacy

The structured phonics programme used in many NZ primary schools — what it is, and how it works.

What it is: A research-based, explicit phonics programme designed to teach children the 44 sounds of English in a carefully sequenced, systematic way. Based on the Science of Reading — the global consensus on how children best learn to read.

How it works: Children are taught to hear, decode, encode, and blend sounds at letter, word, and sentence level. Letters are introduced in phonics order — not alphabetical order — so children can start building real words as quickly as possible.

Character Sequence

Sound	Character		Sound	Character
m	Milo the Monkey	1	b	Ben the Bear
s	Sally the Snake	1	h	Harry the Hippo
f	Felix the Frog	1	n	Nelly the Numbat
a	Ally the Alligator	1	o	Oscar the Octopus
p	Peter the Penguin	1	d	Daisy the Dog
t	Tim the Turtle	1	g	Gabby the Goat
c	Cooper the Caterpillar	1	l	Leo the Lion
i	Izzy the Insect	1	v	Vicki the Vulture
e	Eddy the Elephant		y	Yasmin the Yak
r	Roxy the Rabbit		q	Queenie the Quail
u	Uncle Upton		z	Zoe the Zebra
k	Kylie the Koala		j	Jack the Jellyfish
x	Max the Fox		w	Wanda the Worm

At home: Practise the pure sound, not the letter name — "mmm" not "em". NZ vowel sounds differ from other English accents, so follow your school's guidance. Heart Words (high-frequency irregular words) are learned by memory alongside phonics.

1Stage 1 — the first 8 letters introduced. Once children know these, they can start decoding their first real words. littlelearnersloveliteracy.com.au

Jin started school less than a month ago. She came home with a holiday homework book packed with three weeks of learning.

The phonics record stood out the most. During those early weeks, I'd spotted cards pinned around her classroom — each one showing an animal with its name written underneath. Then Jin came home one afternoon chanting: "m, m, Milo the Monkey~" A few days later: "s, s, Sally the Snake~"

Insights into Her Early Learning

Her teacher's end-of-term report confirmed it: Stage 1 of the Little Learners Love Literacy programme, nearly complete. Letters m, s, f, a, p, t, c, and i — all covered. Since learning vowels, the class has started building words, which means the real reading is just beginning.

The individual feedback for Jin was warm and specific: she focuses well, forms her letters carefully, and enjoys the phonics sessions. She's quieter in whole-class discussions — not surprising for a child still finding her footing in a new language — but joins in when she's ready. Her next steps: building confidence to share more, and practising counting from random numbers rather than always starting from one.

School Communication and Next Steps

That last one made me smile. Jin can count fluently — but only if she starts from the beginning. Ask her to start from seven, and she has to think. A good reminder that fluency and flexibility aren't the same thing.

The school also sent home a Learning Update for all Year 0 and Year 1 families — suggested holiday activities, tailored to what each year group has been working on. I've started saving these each term. Jin's first school holiday: a chance to let the letters settle in, and to practise counting from somewhere unexpected.

한국어 요약

Jin이 학교에 들어간 지 한 달도 안 돼, 3주치 배운 내용이 담긴 방학 숙제 책을 들고 왔다. 가장 눈에 띈 건 파닉스 기록이었다. 교실 곳곳에 동물 그림과 이름이 적힌 카드가 붙어 있었고, 어느 오후 Jin은 "m, m, Milo the Monkey~" 하고 흥얼거리며 돌아왔다. 며칠 뒤에는 "s, s, Sally the Snake~"였다.

담임의 학기 말 보고서로 확인했다. Little Learners Love Literacy 프로그램 1단계를 거의 마쳤고, m, s, f, a, p, t, c, i를 다 배웠다. 모음을 배운 뒤로 반은 단어 만들기를 시작했다. 진짜 읽기가 이제 막 시작된 것이다. Jin에 대한 개별 피드백은 따뜻하고 구체적이었다. 집중을 잘하고 글자를 정성껏 쓰며 파닉스 시간을 즐긴다. 반 전체 토론에서는 조용한 편이지만 준비가 되면 참여한다. 다음 단계는 더 자신 있게 말하기, 그리고 1이 아닌 아무 숫자에서부터 세기 연습이다.

마지막 항목에 웃음이 났다. Jin은 처음부터 세면 막힘이 없지만, 7부터 세어 보라고 하면 생각을 해야 한다. 유창함과 유연함은 다르다. 학교는 Year 0·1 가정에 학년별 방학 활동을 담은 Learning Update도 보내 주었다. 첫 방학은 글자가 자리 잡게 두고, 뜻밖의 숫자부터 세어 보는 시간이다.

Yussi

Writer · Social work student, Massey University

A mother of three girls and a Korean immigrant making Mairangi Bay home — writing about starting school, home learning and everyday life on Auckland's North Shore.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Little Learners Love Literacy?: A research-based, explicit phonics programme used in many New Zealand primary schools. It teaches children the 44 sounds of English in a carefully sequenced way, introducing letters in phonics order rather than alphabetical order so children can start building real words as quickly as possible.
What letters are in Stage 1 of Little Learners Love Literacy?: The first eight: m, s, f, a, p, t, c and i — each with a character, from Milo the Monkey and Sally the Snake to Izzy the Insect. Once children know these, they can start decoding their first real words.
What does a Year 1 first term report say in New Zealand?: Jin's covered her phonics stage, how she works (focusing well, forming letters carefully, enjoying phonics sessions), how she joins class discussions, and her next steps: building confidence to share more, and counting on from random numbers rather than always starting from one.
How can I practise phonics at home with my Year 1 child?: Practise the pure sound, not the letter name — "mmm", not "em". New Zealand vowel sounds differ from other English accents, so follow your school's guidance. High-frequency irregular "Heart Words" are learned by memory alongside phonics.