Reading Together  Programme 

Helping families to support their children's reading at home

Reading Together® is a research-based workshop programme for parents, children, teachers and librarians. It helps parents to support their children's reading at home more effectively (and thereby also supports teachers in their classroom programmes).

The programme has been shown to raise children's reading achievement in a sustained manner, and to improve relationships between children and parents, and between parents and teachers. It has been successfully implemented by teachers in various parts of New Zealand since 1982, and teachers find that the programme is practical and manageable. (www.readingtogether.net.nz)

The Mānuka School Reading Together® Programme has been running since 2013. Each course consists of four workshops (from 6-7:15pm), that run over a seven week time period. Each workshop focuses on looking at different aspects of how children read and how we can support that aspect of their reading.

The workshop leaders provide parents with tools and resources that they can then go home and try out with their child at home. Parents can then adapt these skills to suit their child. The reading skills are based on supporting struggling readers, the course is designed in such a way that parents can still help their children to become more confident readers even if they are not confident readers themselves.

The reading together workshops are a relaxed and friendly learning space. No one is expected to stand and read, role play or make public speeches. There are no tests and there is no judgement made about how much reading your family is able to fit into a week. It is a supportive encouragement, where even the shyest parents can feel safe to come and learn.  

 Mums, dads, grandparents and any other adult family members are welcome to attend the workshops if they would like to learn how to support the child’s learning.

 The school provides free childcare for all of the children of the participating families, so that they are able to attend the workshops.