Our video message from April 2022 to the Minister of Education from Lifting Literacy Aotearoa calling on him to acknowledge the Science of Reading.

“After his comments at the launch of the Literacy Strategy, we are concerned Minister Hipkins is not aware of how the brain learns to read, so we prepared this informative video to support his learning” says Alice Wilson, Chair of Lifting Literacy Aotearoa.

“Minister Hipkins must make decisions about literacy instruction for kiwi kids based on the best evidence.”

Lifting Literacy Aotearoa believes there should be an unprecedented focus in the strategy which clearly outlines the most effective approach for teaching all tamariki to be literate.

15% of schools across Aotearoa have adopted, or are in the process of adopting a diagnostic, systematic, cumulative and explicit approach to the teaching of core literacy skills.

This approach is called Structured Literacy.

Structured Literacy is logical, comprehensive, and does not involve encouraging children to take their eyes off the text. Effective reading is enhanced by sounding out the words from beginning to end.

The video message explains the Science, points to the vast body of research and reports we believe should be included in shaping the literacy strategy. It celebrates successes in kura where Structured Literacy is implemented, and urges Minister Hipkins to demand only the best literacy instruction for children in Aotearoa New Zealand.