Author(s): Donna Awatere Huata

Non-Fiction

New Zealand kids are not learning to read and unacceptably high numbers (about one quarter of New Zealand kids) are undertaking reading recovery also without much success. Donna presents a range of hard facts, observations and opinions to support her thesis and finds that Maori and low decjle school learners are particularly poorly served. Despite successive governments being aware of the disastrous situation and being warned something must be done, nothing has changed. Why is this? There are a range of reading techniques but teachers and bureaucrats insist on using the one called Whole Language Learning. Teachers and parents of Maori and low decile school learners have low expectations of their students. This must change! Donna puts forward a range of strategies that she believes will remedy this tragic situation.