Literacy Webinars

To support schools to deliver high‑quality, evidence‑informed literacy teaching, the Department of Education launched a Literacy Webinar Series, aligned with the Strong Foundations literacy framework and the wider ambitions of TransformED NI to raise literacy outcomes across the system.

Each session focuses on practical, high‑value aspects of literacy teaching, drawing on the research base outlined in the Literacy Framework, covering foundational skills, reading fluency, writing development, disciplinary literacy and digital/media literacy.

This series is designed for teachers, leaders, SENCOs, literacy coordinators and anyone supporting pupils’ reading, writing and oracy development. Our aim is simple: to help every child build the strong literacy foundations they need to access the curriculum, think critically, and thrive in learning and in life.

Webinar 1: Why the Science Behind Literacy Teaching and Learning Matters

Speaker: Dr Geraldine Magennis‑Clarke

This opening session provides an accessible overview of the science of literacy learning—covering how children learn to read, why explicit instruction matters, and what the strongest international evidence tells us about effective classroom practice. It sets the foundation for the full series.

Link to Powerpoint presentation - Webinar 1

Webinar 2: Establishing Foundational Skills Through Explicit, Systematic Phonics Instruction

Speaker: Hamish Rae, Kingspark Primary School, Glengormley

This session focuses on how explicit, systematic phonics instruction supports children to develop secure early reading skills. It explores what effective phonics teaching looks like in practice, how it is sequenced and delivered in the classroom, and why consistency and fidelity of implementation are critical in enabling all pupils to become confident readers. 

Link to Powerpoint presentation - Webinar 2

Webinar 3: Connecting Phonics and Spelling Instruction Throughout the Primary School and Beyond

Speaker: Ryon Leyshon, Victoria Primary School, Ballyhalbert

This session explores the close relationship between phonics and spelling, and how instruction can be coherently developed across the primary years. Drawing on classroom practice and evidence‑informed approaches, it examines how secure phonics teaching supports spelling, writing, and wider literacy outcomes, and how these connections can be sustained beyond the early stages of reading instruction.

Link to Powerpoint Presentation - Webinar 3

Webinar 4 - Whole Class Guided Reading in Practice

Speaker: Jamie Parker, Greystone Primary School, Antrim 

This session looks at what Whole Class Guided Reading looks like in real classrooms. It explores how teachers can structure lessons, select texts, model expert reading, and support all pupils—including those who need additional scaffolding—to participate fully. Practical examples show how WCGR strengthens comprehension, vocabulary, and reading fluency.

Link to Powerpoint Presentation - Webinar 4

Upcoming Literacy Webinar Topics

All upcoming topics align with key elements of the Strong Foundations literacy framework and provide practical strategies to support high‑quality, consistent classroom practice across phases.

• Oral Reading Fluency (ORF): Building a Bridge to Reading Comprehension
• Using Oracy to Support Writing and Writers
• Differentiating Provision for All Abilities
• Reading for Pleasure: Turning the ‘Skill’ into the ‘Will’

Each session will link research to practical classroom application and align directly with the Literacy Framework’s principles of coherence, inclusion, evidence‑informed practice and literacy across the curriculum.

Can’t attend the Webinar live?

All webinars will be recorded and made available on this page. We will notify schools when each recording and slide deck is available.

You will also receive advance notice of future webinars and a new registration link for each session.

If you have not registered to be informed about the Webinars please register here.

Everyone who has registered will be informed when a Webinar is uploaded.

Contact Us

For further information or queries, please contact:
transformED@education-ni.gov.uk