Articles on: SSP Kits

I have the Year 5 or Year 6 SSP Kit, but have students still operating at a Stage 1 or 2 level. What options do you recommend?

The Year 5 SSP Kit includes Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5 and the beginning of Stage 6, but unfortunately not Stage 1.The Year 6 SSP Kit includes Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5 and all of Stage 6, but unfortunately not Stage 1 and Stage 2.

When upper primary classes have students significantly behind their age-matched peers, operating at a junior primary level (i.e. Stages 1 and 2), and requiring Tier 3 intervention, this will produce teaching planning issues. Below you will find the two potential solutions to catering for a significant range in ability in upper primary classes:

Solution 1: (Recommended) PLD’s Integrated SSP Support Kit Program is designed to be delivered by support staff for students who are significantly behind their year-level peers and require frequent and intensive support (Tier 2 and Tier 3 support).

Link to the SUPPORT SSP Kit: https://pld-literacy.org/product/integrated-ssp-support-kit/ The program provides withdrawal-from-class sessions, delivering instruction across three levels of targeted support (Stages 1, 2 & 3). The kit contains:

An individually administered program, delivered at least three times per week for approximately 20 minutes (extendable to 30-45 mins as required)
A classroom component, enabling students receiving individualised support to remain aligned with differentiated whole-class instruction.
Home support activities, where parents/carers are able to reinforce the same concepts and skills.

Solution 2: Merge students with the existing lowest group

PLD’s strong recommendation is for classroom teachers to deliver no more than three targeted teaching groups. 'Outliers' who are operating lower than the main targeted teaching group begin to compromise the whole-class implementation. Although not ideal, if these students do not attract specific funding (and hence staffing), teachers may be forced to place them on the most appropriate targeted group that is most aligned to their needs, rather than individualised teaching programmes.

Solution 3: Supplement with individual Stage 1 and 2 Programs

The Year 5 and Year 6 Kits provide a copy of the Phonic Sight Word Sequence so that teachers can design word lists required for these students.

You could choose to supplement your SSP Kit with the following additional word lists to cater to students operating at a Stage 1 or Stage 2 level:

TimeSavers Stages 1 & 2 https://pld-literacy.org/product/structured-synthetic-phonics-time-savers-stage-1-2/
Catch-Up Phonic Dictation Stage 1 https://pld-literacy.org/product/stage-1-catch-up-phonic-dictation-for-older-students/
Catch-Up Phonic Dictation Stage 2 https://pld-literacy.org/product/stage-2-catch-up-phonic-dictation-for-older-students/

Updated on: 14/07/2026

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