Reading Together is a research-based workshop programme for parents, children and teachers. It is designed to help parents (and/or caregivers) support their children's reading at home more effectively (and thereby also support teachers in their classroom programmes).

The workshop 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 (the original research was a randomised, controlled trial - the gold standard used by US federal authorities)^1,2. It has been successfully implemented by teachers in various parts of New Zealand for more than 25 years, and teachers find that the programme is practical and manageable^3,4.

Reading Together is a low-cost programme comprising five hours (4 x 1hr15min sessions), spread over seven weeks.  Sessions are generally held in the early evening (around 7pm) and can be run by an interested classroom teacher or literacy specialist.

If you would like more information, the article Reading Together: A programme which enables parents to help their children with reading at home is available for download below. This article:

• summarises the research design and results of the Reading Together programme
• outlines its successful implementation throughout New Zealand since 1982
• identifies reasons for the programme's success
• links Reading Together with current research

 The resources for the programme can be ordered here.

In 2007, the New Zealand Ministry of Education funded a research study⁵ into the effectiveness of Reading Together. The in-depth study (led by Dr Bryan Tuck) investigated the ongoing implementation (since 2005) of Reading Together at St Joseph’s Primary School, Otahuhu, Auckland. The research revealed:

• statistically significant gains in students’ levels of reading comprehension,
• positive and constructive changes in parents’ relationships with their children, and
• positive shifts in children’s independent reading and relationships between teachers and parents.

The report of the St Joseph’s Otahuhu research study is available for download below (and is also available on the Education Counts site). Information about the implementation of Reading Together at St Joseph’s is also contained in the article Reading Together: St Joseph's Otahuhu ⁶ (available for download below). Written by Liz Horgan (Principal), Cathy Franich (DP) and Marian Wards (AP), this article describes the successful implementation of Reading Together at St Joseph's and provides feedback from workshop participants. Further information about the implementation of Reading Together at St Joseph's is contained in the article Home-School Partnership: Reading Together⁷.

In 2009, a document summarising research evidence relating to Reading Together (1982-2009) was prepared by The Biddulph Group at the request of Group Māori, Ministry of Education National Office, as part of Whānau Engaged in Learning initiatives within Ka Hikitia. The document is available for download below.