Piloting a literacy resource network

Posted on 11 December, 2015

It is understood that there are still many Māori students in our schools who will need support to accelerate their literacy skills if they are to achieve sufficient credits for NCEA.

Recently staff from the Kahui Whakaako schools met in Wellington to pilot ideas aimed at accelerating literacy learning across Kia Eke Panuku schools.

In order to promote conditions for accelerating literacy learning in classrooms it was proposed that three contexts, that worked simultaneously, were essential. The first of these contexts - deliberate professional acts of literacy - should overlay a context of culturally responsive and relational pedagogy together with home, school and community engagement focused on literacy learning.

Evidence from each of the separate contexts in this 1 + 1 + 1 model provided a compelling argument for this inter-related contextual model.

Each person shared literacy strategies that could be used in DPAs across the curriculum. The two Connections and Collaborations eBooks which are aimed at reading and writing strategies, and the Connecting with Māori Communities eBook, were also considered.
These strategies are all being collated and will be iteratively made available on this website during term 1.

The initial Literacy Network Kete can be viewed here or from a link on the Literacy, Te Reo Māori, and Numeracy Dimension page. There are direct links from both the “Resources” page and the “Dimensions” drop down menu.

To accelerate literacy learning, we consider that this 1+1+1 model has merits. However, we also understand that we will need greater alignment and spread between the Kia Eke Panuku activities and how these are being understood and measured. While this pilot was successful, the question remains how else can we all contribute and support each other in this work throughout 2016? Wānanga 4 will provide our first collective opportunity.