Learning Matters

What Learning Matters does

Learning MATTERS Ltd. is a New Zealand-based education company, founded in 2016 by Carla McNeil and headquartered in Te Awamutu, that delivers evidence-based Structured Literacy programs to schools and educators across New Zealand. Its core product, the iDeaL Approach (Individualised Diagnostic Explicit Approach to Learning), is a Moodle-based online platform providing professional learning materials, instructional videos, diagnostic assessments (including the iDeaL Reading Skills Record), reporting tools, and a systematic curriculum library aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction. Complementary offerings include the LMIT (Learning MATTERS Intervention Teaching) 12-month certification, accredited by the International Dyslexia Association, and the iDeaL Schools subscription platform used by over 500 kura — roughly 30% of New Zealand schools.

The company's business model combines Ministry of Education-funded Professional Learning and Development (PLD) for Y0–8 teachers, RTLits, RTLBs, LSCs, and school leaders with paid self-funded workshops (e.g., Building Strong Writers at $269 +GST/day, Explicit Instruction at $250 +GST for two days), the annual Cultivating the Literacy Landscape Symposium ($359 +GST/ticket), online shop revenue from decodable texts and resources, and recurring iDeaL Schools Platform subscriptions. Distribution is direct and domestic: schools apply via the MoE PLD Portal and through the company's own booking system, while self-funded workshops are sold through an e-commerce storefront at shop.learningmatters.co.nz. Go-to-market combines event-driven (symposiums, regional structured literacy afternoons), community-led (Chit Chat video series with international literacy researchers, Knowledge Hub, newsletter), and sales-led (free literacy kōrero consultations and school support engagements) motions.

The company's positioning is reinforced by independent validation from the 2022 MoE Literacy and Communications Research Trial, conducted across 15 schools over 19 weeks and evaluated by Ripple Research and Kōtātā Insight, which demonstrated statistically significant treatment effects for the differentiated Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention. Strategic international engagement includes a multi-year consultancy with Port Vila International School in Vanuatu.

Name

Learning Matters

Legal name

Learning MATTERS Ltd.

Website

https://learningmatters.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Learning MATTERS is a New Zealand education company that delivers MoE-funded Structured Literacy professional learning, the iDeaL Approach platform, and LMIT certification to schools, teachers, and specialist educators across Aotearoa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literacy Professional Development and Educational Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Literacy Foundations (Phonics, Reading Fluency, Comprehension) Platforms (EDAFAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA), K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA), Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Structured literacy programs
• Professional development services
• Literacy assessment tools
• Teacher certification programs
• Educational consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Te Kauwhata

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. MoE-Funded Professional Learning and Development (PLD): The Ministry of Education funds Structured Literacy PLD places for Y0–8 teachers, RTLits, RTLBs, LSCs, and school leaders. Learning MATTERS is an approved MoE PLD provider. The PLD includes three full-day workshops, eight 1.5-hour Community of Practice sessions, two 1-hour online group sessions, temporary access to the iDeaL Schools Platform, and support from an iDeaL Coach, leading to an 'Application of Structured Literacy Teaching' Certification.
2. iDeaL Approach Subscription: Subscription-based online learning and resource hub for schools and educators implementing Structured Literacy. Provides tools, professional learning, assessments, teaching resources, and leadership information. Used by over 500 kura throughout Aotearoa across Tier 1, 2, and 3 settings, representing approximately 30% of schools in New Zealand.
3. Self-Funded Workshops and Training: Paid professional development workshops including Building Strong Writers ($269 +GST per day), Explicit Instruction ($250 +GST for two days), Literacy in Secondary Settings ($269 +GST), and other offerings available through the online shop.
4. LMIT Certification: 12-month intervention teaching certification available as either MoE-funded or self-funded. The certification specialises in Structured Literacy intervention and is accredited by the International Dyslexia Association.
5. Resource and Product Sales: Sale of physical and digital resources through the online shop (shop.learningmatters.co.nz), including decodable texts, professional learning books, handwriting materials, syllable type posters, and other literacy teaching resources.
6. Annual Symposium: The annual Cultivating the Literacy Landscape Symposium, with tickets priced at $359 +GST per person, featuring international keynote speakers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Learning MATTERS delivers evidence-based structured literacy professional learning, consultancy, and resources for New Zealand schools and educators. Its core offering is the iDeaL Approach — a Moodle-based subscription platform providing professional learning materials, instructional videos, assessment and reporting tools, and systematic teaching resources — combined with Ministry of Education-funded PLD, the LMIT intervention teaching certification, school support consultancy, workshops, and an annual symposium.

Product overview

Learning MATTERS offers a portfolio of interconnected products and services centred on evidence-based Structured Literacy for New Zealand schools. The core offering is the iDeaL Approach (Individualised Diagnostic Explicit Approach to Learning), a subscription-based online platform built on Moodle providing tools, resources, and assessments for schools and specialists. LMIT Certification is a 12-month intervention training programme accredited by the International Dyslexia Association. Professional Learning services include MoE-funded PLD, workshops, regional afternoons, and an annual symposium. Supplementary offerings include the Online Shop (decodable texts, resources), Chit Chats video series, and Leap into Literacy activity videos. School Support provides consultancy to embed sustainable literacy practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iDeaL Approach: Individualised Diagnostic Explicit Approach to Learning - a structured, evidence-informed literacy platform supporting reading, spelling, and writing across all year levels and tiers of instruction.
• LMIT Certification

Products and services

• iDeaL Approach The Individualised Diagnostic Explicit Approach to Learning (iDeaL) is a structured literacy methodology and Moodle-based online platform providing schools and specialists with professional learning materials, instructional videos, assessment and reporting tools, and a systematic, cumulative resource suite aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum. Offered as a subscription for Tier 1, 2, and 3 settings.
• LMIT Certification A 12-month certification course specialising in Structured Literacy intervention for Tier 3 support, accredited by the International Dyslexia Association. Available as Ministry of Education-funded or self-funded, building knowledge and skill in intervention delivery.
• School Support (Consultancy) Consultancy services providing practical support to build educator capability, strengthen practice, and embed sustainable evidence-based structured literacy in schools. Includes free Literacy Kōrero consultations (approximately 30 minutes) and ongoing coaching support.
• MoE-Funded Professional Learning and Development (PLD) Ministry of Education-funded Professional Learning and Development for Y0–8 teachers, RTLits, RTLBs, LSCs, and school leaders covering Structured Literacy approaches. Delivered via face-to-face workshops, remote sessions, and Community of Practice gatherings, leading to an Application of Structured Literacy Teaching Certification.
• Writing Workshops (Building Strong Writers) One-day practical workshops designed to help build strong, confident writers from the sentence up. Priced at $269 +GST per person per day. Available for 2026.
• Explicit Instruction Workshops Two-day training grounded in the Science of Learning and Science of Instruction, teaching explicit knowledge delivery for clear, durable, transferable learning across schools. Priced at $250 +GST per person for two days.
• Reading and Spelling Years 1–4 Workshops Three free 90-minute workshop sessions strengthening the quality, responsiveness, and impact of literacy instruction for Years 1–4 students.
• Reading and Spelling Years 4–8 Workshops Three free 90-minute workshop sessions strengthening the quality, responsiveness, and impact of literacy instruction for Years 4–8 students.
• Literacy in Secondary Settings Workshops Workshops applying the science of learning for explicit literacy instruction in secondary school classrooms across subject areas. Priced at $269 +GST per person per day, with online options available.
• Regional Structured Literacy Afternoons Free regional community afternoons for school leaders, teachers, and principals at any stage of their Structured Literacy journey, offering live session modelling, practical strategies, and networking opportunities.
• Principals' Leadership Series Three-hour series delivered over three days, designed for Principals, Deputy Principals, and School Leaders to confidently guide Structured Literacy implementation across their schools.
• Annual Symposium (Cultivating the Literacy Landscape) Annual symposium bringing international keynote speakers to New Zealand for educator professional development in evidence-based literacy practices. Tickets priced at $359 +GST per person.

Quantifiable outcome

• Statistically proven accelerated progress at both T2 and T3 intervention levels, with higher effect sizes compared to control groups in the 2022 MoE trial
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Education New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearning MATTERS is an approved Ministry of Education PLD Provider, delivering Specialised Structured Literacy PLD tailored to individual kura. The partnership includes the Literacy and Communications Research Trial (2022), which was independently evaluated and demonstrated statistically proven accelerated progress at both T2 and T3 intervention levels. Additionally, Learning MATTERS delivers Programmes for Students (PfS) Accelerating Learning in Literacy, providing tailored PLD sessions to enhance kaiako skills in literacy assessment and intervention.
• Ripple Research, Design and Evaluation and Kōtātā InsightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of researchers that independently evaluated the 2022 Literacy and Communication Package Trial delivered by Learning MATTERS. The evaluation confirmed statistically significant treatment effects from Learning MATTERS' differentiated T2 and T3 intervention, with higher effect sizes compared to control groups across 15 trial schools.
• Port Vila International SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational school in Vanuatu partnering with Learning MATTERS Head of Consultancy Fiona Wilder for three years, working both online and in person to strengthen evidence-based teaching and learning across the primary school. The school serves a diverse community of learners across multiple cultures and languages, including a growing number of EAL students.
• Dr. Jan HasbrouckminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally recognised reading researcher who peer reviewed Learning MATTERS' summary of the 2022 Lit/Comm Trial evaluation report. Dr. Hasbrouck also appears in the Chit Chat series discussing reading fluency.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wilson Language Training: US-based developer of the Wilson Reading System and Fundations, a structured literacy intervention and Tier 1 program widely used in US schools. Direct comparable in delivering accredited intervention training (WRS Level I/II Certification parallels LMIT) and systematic K-2 classroom curricula.
• MultiLit: Australia-based provider of structured literacy intervention programs (MiniLit, MacqLit, InitiaLit) used widely in schools. Direct comparable to Learning MATTERS as a K-6 structured literacy intervention specialist with school-wide implementation, teacher training, and accredited certification offerings; geographic complement in the trans-Tasman education market.
• Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF): Australian not-for-profit delivering evidence-based literacy professional development to schools, including First Nations communities. Direct comparable to Learning MATTERS in mission, PLD-led school engagement model, and structured literacy focus, with similar constraints as a small specialist provider.
• Lexia Learning (Lexia Core5/PowerUp): US-based digital literacy instruction platform for K-12 students, providing adaptive, structured phonics-based instruction. Comparable to the iDeaL Approach in delivering systematic, evidence-based literacy instruction via a school subscription platform, though at significantly larger scale.
• Reading Eggs / Blake eLearning: Australia-based digital literacy program widely used in primary schools across Australia, NZ, and globally. Comparable to Learning MATTERS in targeting the Y0-8 structured literacy segment with a school subscription model, though Reading Eggs is a much larger player focused on student-facing software.

Emerging players

• UFLI Foundations (University of Florida Literacy Institute): Open-source structured literacy curriculum and teacher training program with strong adoption in US schools. Comparable in approach (systematic, explicit phonics aligned with the science of reading) and increasingly used as the free alternative to paid platforms, creating competitive pressure on iDeaL.
• Phonics Hero: UK-based digital phonics and decodable reading platform for K-2 students. Comparable in delivering systematic synthetic phonics via a school subscription model and in selling decodable texts, but with global distribution and a different geographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Fountas & Pinnell (Heinemann): Established US-based literacy curriculum, assessment, and intervention program from Heinemann/HMH. Comparable in providing systematic literacy instruction, leveled assessment, and professional development, though broader in scope and historically more guided-reading oriented (less aligned with current structured literacy consensus).

Others

• SPELD NZ: New Zealand non-profit supporting students with specific learning disabilities including dyslexia. Comparable as a NZ literacy specialist ecosystem participant referring families and schools to intervention providers like Learning MATTERS, and as an adjacent LMIT/Dyslexia training accreditor in the same local market.

Regional players

• Essential Resources (NZ): New Zealand-based educational publisher and PLD provider, producing literacy and curriculum resources for NZ schools. Comparable in serving the same NZ primary school market with teacher resources, literacy materials, and professional learning, representing both a competitor and a potential distribution partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/learningmatters.co.nz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ideal-approach-powered-by-learning-matters
• Instagraminstagram.com/learningmatters

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Learning Matters