Instructional Series
Welcome to the English medium literacy instructional series teaching and learning resources for years 1 to 8.

- Gold
- Purple
- Blue
- Red
- Green
- Yellow
- Orange
- Turquoise
- Magenta
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 1
- 4
- 6
- 5
- 3
- 8
- 7
- 2
- 1
- English
- Social Sciences
- Science
- Health and Physical Education
- Technology
- The Arts
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Learning Languages
- Fiction
- Non-fiction
- None
- Nature of science
- Living world
- Nature of technology
- Statistics
- Geometry and Measurement
- Planet Earth and beyond
- Technological knowledge
- Physical world
- Material world
- Number and Algebra
- Technological practice
- Gather and interpret data
- Use evidence
- Critique evidence
- Engage with science
- Interpret representations
- Articles
- Stories
- Poems
- Plays
- Activity
- Comic
- Kākano | Seed
- Tupu | Seedling
- Māhuri | Sapling
- Rākau | Tree
- Consonant digraphs
- Consonant patterns
- Initial and final blends
- Long vowels
- Short vowels
- Single consonants
- Complex morphemes
- Tense
- Vowel digraphs
- Contractions
- Syllable types
Search results
1187 items - Showing 21 - 30
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Pencils and Pens
by Kate Boyle
This report describes some school writing implements and how they have changed over the last hundred years. It includes explanations, supported by photographs and labelled diagrams of how they work.
Purple 1
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Giant Soup
by Margaret Mahy
illustrated by Robyn Belton
In this humorous fairytale-style narrative, the giant’s mother has gone on holiday leaving her son to make soup by himself for the first time. The giant catches a boy to flavour the soup, but the boy manages to outwit the giant and escape.
Purple 1
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Llamas
by Fiona Terry
In this information text, Fiona and her children visit a llama farm and go on a llama trek. Fiona shares what they learnt about llamas, including where they come from and why they are farmed in New Zealand.
Purple 2
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Bikes
by Janice Marriott
photographs by Adrian Heke
A girl provides the reader with information about bikes, how they work, how to ride them, and how to look after them. The book concludes with comments from her family about why they like bikes.
Purple 1
#LFH
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White Sunday in Sāmoa
by Sarona Aiono-Iosefa
photographs by Jill MacGregor
This factual recount describes how a young Sāmoan boy, with the support of his family, gets ready to celebrate White Sunday. There is a glossary of Sāmoan terms and extra information about White Sunday at the end of the book. This book is also available in five Pasifika languages in the Tupu series.
Turquoise 2
#LFH
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Timo’s Shorts
by Marie Langley
illustrated by Andrew Burdan
In this lively narrative, Timo can’t wait to show off his hot new swimming shorts. But when it’s swimming time, they’ve disappeared. Timo anxiously retraces his movements from the school pool back to the cloak bay, where he solves the mystery.
Turquoise 2
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Isobel’s Garden
by Maria Hansen
illustrated by Andrew Burdan
This is a true story set in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes. When William and Sam kick their ball over the fence and go looking for it, they find themselves in an overgrown garden. Isobel, the owner of the garden, explains that her family have left Christchurch because of the earthquakes, and she has no one to help her keep it tidy. The boys and their mum help her out, but it’s a huge job, and they call in the Student Volunteer Army.
Turquoise 1
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Mum’s Octopus
by Don Long
illustrated by Gus Sinaumea Hunter
This dramatic personal experience narrative features Sione, the boy in Finding Mum (Green). Sione’s family are collecting mussels at the beach when Mum inadvertently catches an octopus! Mum and Dad strongly disagree about what to do with the unexpected catch.
Orange 2
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A Very Clever Possum
by Vivienne Joseph
illustrated by Christine Tate
This narrative describes how Mr Lees, a keen gardener, tries to save his favourite rosebush from a hungry possum by setting a trap. Night after night, the wily possum manages to get the food out of the trap and escape. Information about possums is included inside the back cover, along with comments from the author and the illustrator.
Orange 2