Dr. Swain’s blend of clarity, enthusiasm, and hands-on techniques inspire and equip educators with tools to elevate both their literacy teaching and their students’ outcomes. Dr Swain offers a dynamic mix of evidence-based theory and student-ready practice. He is a powerful reminder that effective instruction is both an art and a science - and, when done well, can be deeply transformative.

"Nathaniel Swain was exceptional"
"Practical, entertaining and informative."
"Nathaniel Swain was incredible"

Learning Outcomes

Gain insights on:

  • The importance of orthographic (in addition to phonics) knowledge
  • Common spelling errors at the orthographic and morphological levels
  • How to progress spelling to a more functionally effective level.

Ideal for

All educators and others interested in ways to lift literacy.

Delivery method

A presentation of about 1.25 hours at SPELD NZ’s 2025 conference Navigating Neurodiversity.  PowerPoint slide notes are provided.

Want to know more?

Dr Nathaniel Swain is a Teacher, Instructional Coach, and Writer. He works as a Senior Lecturer in Learning Sciences at La Trobe University School of Education and SOLAR LAB, and he produces a blog for teachers called Dr Swain’s Cognitorium. Nathaniel has taught a range of learners in schools and universities, and founded a community of teachers committed to the Science of Learning: Think Forward Educators, now 23,000 members and growing. Dr Swain is a sought-after speaker on educational circuits, and has written a book entitled “Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success stories to help kickstart your school improvement”.   Read more about Dr Swain here.

Contact: nationaloffice@speld.org.nz 
or call 0800 773 536 Ext 3

Cost

$25 including GST

ENROL NOW
(NB:  This enrolment portal will ask you to create your own login to SPELD NZ’s Moodle platform.  You can then choose your Learning Capsule/Kōwae Ako. You will be given access to the recording and PowerPoint notes as soon as  you have made  payment via credit or debit card.)

Learning Capsules

Syntax as the ‘phonics’ of writing: It’s as fundamental as that!