I note with interest AP comments 'with a
lttle bit of time and interest one could
find the appropriate data on NZ reading
statistics...with a little bit of time and
reflection AP would also realise that
reporters can also make statements, along
with many others, that support the bias
they wish to take.That does not mean that
this is fact.You talk of adult literacy
statistics...how interesting that the
lowest mean applies to the 50+ age group..a
group that would have had a large dose of
the phonics approach...obviously it did not
work for a great many children then. What I
do acknowledge is that NZ has not responded
to the rapid increase in the diversity of
our students ethnicity and language
backgrounds and it is in this area where we
are targeting interventions and research.
We continue to achieve outstandingly on our
reading levels for age bands see IEA, PISA
but because of incredibly high achievement
at one end of the scale the gap between our
lowest achievement is huge; maybe AP
suggests we achieve at mediocre levels at
the top end so the gap is not so great?
Clearly the pedagogy works for a large
number of students. It is now about
identifying appropriate pedagogy for those
at the other end, not 'throwing the baby
out with the bathwater!!!!
Sonia

sonia, sonia.glogowski@wce.ac.nz,
11/07/02

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