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Report of the Literacy Taskforce

As a key input into the development of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, in 1999 the Government established the Literacy Taskforce to provide advice on how the goal should be defined, how progress towards it should be measured, and the ways in which literacy learning could best be supported. The taskforce was asked to make specific recommendations to improve teaching and learning for children in their first four years at school, to identify those aspects of current practice that need affirming or reinforcing, and to indicate programmes or practices that need reviewing. This Literacy and Numeracy Strategy is no longer an active strategy.

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Appendix A

Members of the Literacy Taskforce

Jan Baynes, Mt Cook Primary School, Wellington
Linda Bendikson, Nawton Primary School, Hamilton
Mere Berryman, Specialist Education Services, Tauranga
Gaye Byers, Teacher Support Services, Kaikohe
Garry de Thierry, Malfroy Primary School, Rotorua
Henare Everitt, Learning Media Limited, Wellington
Christine Fernyhough, The Alan Duff Charitable Foundation, Auckland
Annette Hill, Wharenui Primary School, Christchurch
Jenny Hodgkinson, East Taieri Primary School, Dunedin
Dr Libby Limbrick, Auckland College of Education, Auckland
Gail Loane, Waikato University School of Education, Thames
Dr Stuart McNaughton, The University of Auckland,
Terry Martin, West Spreydon Primary School, Christchurch
Helen Parsons, Lynmore Primary School, Rotorua
Liz Patara, Clyde Quay School, Wellington
Feofanaki Pocock, Mangere Central Primary School, Auckland
Cath Rau, Consultant, Ngaruawahia
Noeline Skeet, Manurewa Primary School, Auckland
Lois Thompson, Learning Media Limited, Wellington
David Whalley, Education Review Office, Auckland

Convenor: Howard Fancy, Secretary for Education

Officials: Sue Douglas, Ministry of Education, Diane Crew, Ministry of Education

Terms of reference

The initial terms of reference for the Literacy Taskforce were to:

  • provide advice on how the literacy goal should be defined;
  • provide advice on how progress towards the literacy goal should be measured;
  • identify and provide information to the Ministry and Minister on effective initiatives to improve reading literacy and written language, particularly for groups that are not doing as well as others (Māori children, Pacific Islands children, and those for whom English is not the home language);
  • consider whether any additional curriculum support materials are needed and provide advice on those materials;
  • develop criteria for programmes and resources that can be accessed by schools through the reading and mathematics proposals pool.

Literacy Experts Group

Associate Professor Stuart McNaughton (Chair),  The University Of Auckland
Professor James W. Chapman,  Massey University
Cedric Croft,  New Zealand Council for Educational Research
Professor Ted Glynn,  The University of Waikato
Margie Kahukura Hohepa,  The University of Auckland
Dr Libby Limbrick,  Auckland College of Education
Associate Professor Tom Nicholson,  The University of Auckland
Dr John Smith,  Dunedin College of Education
Dr G. Brian Thompson,  Victoria University of Wellington
Professor Bill Tunmer,  Massey University

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Content last updated: 2 February 2012

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