Understanding the Impact of the Writers in Schools Programme for Read NZ

Gabriela Doskos Valentina Harrison Carolyn Heighton Kiersten Hoglund

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF THE WRITERS IN SCHOOLS PROGRAMME

A READ NZ PROGRAMME EVALUATION

This report represents the work of four Worcester Polytechnic Institute students, submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of the degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer

review. For more information about these projects program at WPI, please see http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Projects.

Submitted to Juliet Blyth, Chief Executive Officer (Read NZ) Kathryn Carmody, Programmes Manager (Read NZ) Tanya Prince, Corporate Services Manager (Read NZ) Melissa Wastney, Communications Manager (Read NZ) Project Advisors Professor Leslie Dodson (WPI) Professor Gary Pollice (WPI)

An Interactive Qualifying Project submitted to the faculty of

Worcester Polytechnic Institute in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Degree of Bachelor of Science in collaboration with

The Read NZ organization at the New Zealand Project Center

Submitted on March 5th, 2020

Submitted by Gabriela Doskos Valentina Harrison Carolyn Heighton Kiersten Hoglund

i

Abstract The Read NZ Te Pou Muramura organization seeks to inspire a joy of reading in children by offering classroom programs with

local authors. This project evaluated Read NZ’s Writers in Schools Programme by assessing the importance of the program on students and parents, who had not been reached in previous evaluations. We designed and tested interactive activities to elicit responses from young readers and executed an evaluation to get feedback on the program from teachers, parents, and authors. We used this feedback to gauge the impacts of the program, including how children feel about reading. We provided an evaluation toolkit and recommendations to the organization to help strengthen the program, evaluate it fully, and demonstrate value to funders and inspire further joy of reading.

ii

AcknowledgementsThis project would not have been possible without our

partnership with the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura organization. Special thanks to Read NZ staff: Kathryn Carmody, Melissa Wastney, and Tanya Prince, for their support and guidance throughout the project.

We would like to acknowledge authors Paul Beavis, Moira Wairama, Bianca Begovich, Mandy Hager and Helen Vivienne Fletcher who took the time to meet with us and give their valuable insight into the program. We would also like to thank Worcester Polytechnic Institute Professor Paula Quinn, who was extremely helpful in the creation of our evaluation instruments. Additionally, we would like to thank the readers, parents and authors who responded to our survey.

We would also like to thank the Raroa Intermediate School staff for allowing us to interview their students. We would especially like to thank librarian Clare Forrest, for taking time to help us throughout our visit. We also acknowledge the staff at St. Bernadette’s School for giving us the opportunity to attend their book launch as well as Wellington High School and author Tayi Tibble for supporting our observation of her visit as part of the Writers in Schools Programme.

We would like to specifically thank our advisors, Professors Leslie Dodson and Gary Pollice for all of their support, guidance, and efforts to challenge us to think deeper throughout our project and time abroad. We would also like to thank Professor Ingrid Shockey for her assistance with this project during our preparatory term.

iv

iv

Authorship Section Primary Author Primary Editor 1.0 Introduction All Kiersten Hoglund

2.1 Joy of Reading Gabriela Doskos Gabriela Doskos

2.2 The Connection Between the Joy of Reading and Literacy Kiersten Hoglund Gabriela Doskos

2.3 Analyzing New Zealand’s Educational System Carolyn Heighton Kiersten Hoglund

2.4 The Read NZ Organization Valentina Harrison Gabriela Doskos, Carolyn Heighton

2.5 Learning from Previous Evaluations Kiersten Hoglund Gabriela Doskos

3.1 Learning Best Practices in Program Evaluation Carolyn Heighton, Kiersten Hoglund

Carolyn Heighton

3.2 Document the Existing Writers in Schools Programme Aims Valentina Harrison Gabriela Doskos

3.3 Identify Key Indicators and Benchmarks for Success Carolyn Heighton Valentina Harrison

3.4 Understand the Impacts of the Program on Students, Parents, Teachers, and Authors

Kiersten Hoglund Carolyn Heighton

3.5 Data Management Gabriela Doskos Kiersten Hoglund

4.1 Development and Application of Indicators is Age-Dependent Kiersten Hoglund Carolyn Heighton

v

4.2 Students Find Joy in Reading Gabriela Doskos Gabriela Doskos

4.3 Engagement and Inspiration Among Students Gabriela Doskos Kiersten Hoglund

4.4 Parents See Lasting Impacts of the Program Valentina Harrison, Kiersten Hoglund

Carolyn Heighton

4.5 Authors Indicate Preparedness and Engagement Increase the Impact of the Program

Valentina Harrison, Kiersten Hoglund

Gabriela Doskos

4.6 Teachers See Increased Interest in Author’s Works After Visit Valentina Harrison Kiersten Hoglund

4.7 Low Name Recognition of Organization Gabriela Doskos, Kiersten Hoglund

Carolyn Heighton

5.1 Conclusion Kiersten Hoglund Carolyn Heighton

5.2 Limitations Gabriela Doskos Kiersten Hoglund

5.3 Recommendations Valentina Harrison, Carolyn Heighton, Kiersten Hoglund

Gabriela Doskos

vi

Table of Contents

Abstract………………….…………………………………..…………………i

Acknowledgements .............................................................. ii

Authorship .......................................................................... iv

Table of Contents ................................................................ vi

Table of Figures ................................................................ viii

Executive Summary ............................................................ ix

Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................ 1

Chapter 2: Background ........................................................ 3

2.1 Joy of Reading ............................................................. 3

2.2 The Connection Between the Joy of Reading and Literacy ............................................................................. 6

2.3 Analyzing New Zealand’s Educational System ............. 8 2.3.1 Literacy in New Zealand ......................................................... 8 2.3.2 New Zealand’s School System ................................................ 9 2.3.3 Inequalities within Schools .................................................. 13

2.4 The Read NZ Organization ......................................... 14

2.5 Learning from Previous Evaluations .......................... 16

Chapter 3: Methodology ..................................................... 19

3.1 Learning Best Practices in Program Evaluation ........ 20

3.2 Document the Existing Writers in Schools Programme Aims ................................................................................ 21

3.3 Identify Key Indicators and Benchmarks for Success 22

3.4 Understand the Impacts of the Program on Students, Parents, Teachers, and Authors ....................................... 23

3.5 Data Management ...................................................... 25

Chapter 4: Findings ............................................................ 27

4.1 Development and Application of Indicators is Age-Dependent ....................................................................... 29

4.2 Students Find Joy in Reading ................................... 30

4.3 Engagement and Inspiration Among Students ........... 33

4.4 Parents See Lasting Impacts of the Program .............. 36

4.5 Authors Indicate Preparedness and Engagement Increase the Impact of the Programme ........................... 39

4.5.1 Value of School Preparedness .............................................. 39 4.5.2 Engagement in the Program ................................................. 41

4.6 Teachers See Increased Interest in Author's Works After Visit ........................................................................ 43

vii

4.7 Low Name Recognition of Organization .................... 44

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations ................. 46

5.1 Conclusion ................................................................. 46

5.2 Limitations ................................................................ 48

5.3 Recommendations .................................................... 50

Appendix A: Sample Worksheet for Workshop Observation ........................................................................................... 57

Appendix B: List of Indicators and Benchmarks ................ 58

Appendix C: Questions for In-School Visit Activities .......... 59

Appendix D: Toolkit for School Activities ........................... 62

Appendix E: Interview and Survey Questions for Authors . 62

Appendix F: Survey Questions for Teachers, Parents, Students and Authors ........................................................ 75

viii

Table of Figures Figure 1: Objectives and methods ............................................. x

Figure 2: The virtuous reading cycle ........................................ 6

Figure 3: New Zealand vs global scores for PIRLS .................. 8

Figure 4:2000-2018 New Zealand PISA reading scores ......... 9

Figure 5: Inquiry based learning model .................................. 10

Figure 6: School types in New Zealand ................................... 11

Figure 7: The VARK model ...................................................... 12

Figure 8: Objectives and methods ........................................... 19

Figure 9: Categorizing relevant indicators ............................. 28

Figure 10: Student responses indicating joy of reading ......... 30

Figure 11: Student response to "how do you feel about reading" .................................................................................................. 31

Figure 12: Student's response to "how do you feel about reading?" ................................................................................. 32

Figure 13: Drawing of whirlpool experiment ......................... 33

Figure 14:Student drawing of how they felt after the visit ..... 34

Figure 15: Student's drawing of how they felt after the author visit .......................................................................................... 35

Figure 16: Word map of parent responses ............................. 36

Figure 17: How often do you read at home with your child(ren)? ................................................................................................. 37

Figure 18: Did your child have an author's visit ..................... 38

Figure 19: How do you promote reading in your home ......... 38

Figure 20: Common types of program activities .................... 41

Figure 21: Versions of Mrs. Mo's Monster .............................. 42

Figure 22: Response rate from schools ................................... 48

Figure 23: Map of schools contacted across the country ....... 48

Executive Summary

Introduction New Zealand has an official literacy rate of 99%;

however, as many as 43% of the population is not capable of reading at a high-functioning level (Mitchell, 2018). A literate person is someone who can participate in everyday life, but many citizens do not have the capacity to advance in any type of professional setting (Mitchell, 2018). Along with evidence that national literacy rates are failing to ensure consistently high-quality benchmarks, there is a critical need to instill a love of reading in the nation’s youth (Redmond, 2019). To understand this issue, we researched literacy in New Zealand, the joy of reading, and how it connects to literacy, as well as the social and educational climates in New Zealand.

Read NZ Te Pou Muramura is an organization that supports literacy in New Zealand. The non-profit organization changed its name in 2019 from the NZ Book Council to Read NZ Te Pou Muramura to better represent their focus and commitment to reading, rather than to promoting books alone.

To do this they offer many programs to inspire readers,

including the Writers in Schools Programme, which sends local authors into primary and secondary school classrooms. The authors may read their works, explain how they became an author, help the students with their own writing, or perform a variety of other activities. In the past, authors and teachers filled out surveys immediately following the authors visit. These elicited responses regarding the logistics of the program—how many students participated, and what the author did during the visit. However, there has not been an evaluation regarding the long-term effectiveness of the program, which has operated since 1972. Therefore, the goal of this project was to prototype and field test various instruments and outcome evaluations of the Writers in Schools Programme offered by Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Our aim was to assist the organization in developing a deeper understanding of the long-term effectiveness of their Writers in Schools Programme. This was done providing updated tools to evaluate short and long-term data.

Approach

Figure 1: Objectives and methods

To achieve our goal, with a focus on reaching missing groups of stakeholders such as students and parents, we identified four objectives (Figure 1). First, to learn the best practices in

program evaluation. Second, to document the existing Writers in Schools Programme elements and aims. Third, to identify key indicators and benchmarks for success and finally, to understand the impacts of the program on students, teachers, parents, and authors.

Results/ Findings

Authors We interviewed and surveyed 14 authors to learn about

their perspectives about the program, how they got involved, and what they do during their visits. Author feedback highlighted the importance of having a well thought out and rehearsed activity or interactive presentation to keep students’ attention throughout the duration of the visit. The authors use many different strategies to create excitement in the students for reading and writing, and many try to ensure they incorporate activities such as workshops, illustrations and presentations into their visit. We also found that the authors value school preparedness for the visit, which commonly includes teachers briefing the students on the author or discussing some of the author’s work prior to the visit.

Students To gauge the impact of the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura

program on students, our team facilitated three activities with students in year eight (11- and 12-year-olds) at Raroa Intermediate School, a public school in Johnsonville, Wellington. These included a drawing activity asking the students to create illustrations based on prompts that was designed to elicit a creative response. The second activity was a focus group to encourage critical thinking and discussion of the visit, and the third was a poster board activity to visualize all data with regards the children’s views of reading and their thoughts about the program. We found that student engagement is an essential aspect to a successful program. For example, at Raroa Intermediate, we learned that students felt engaged during the visit because the author conducted different science experiments that represented the steps of the writing process. The author’s aim was to help young writers mentally prepare for difficulties they may face when it comes to their own writing. The experiments helped students draw parallels between the experiment and the unpredictable nature of the writing process. Our findings showed that students

gained confidence in themselves and their work by understanding that reading and writing are not done according to a formula. Our experience suggests that the Writers in Schools Programme increased the students’ passion for reading books similar to the authors’ works.

Parents Our team sent out a survey on Read NZ Te Pou Muramura’s social media accounts, to reach parents and receive their input on the impact of the program. This survey allowed us to collect valuable data from a group whose opinions had not been considered in the past. The survey responses from parents whose child experienced a program in the past were uniformly positive. Many of their responses said their child “loved it” or “enjoyed it.” Our background research also highlighted the importance of reading in the home, and the presence of good reading role models. We geared survey questions towards understanding reading environments and habits outside of the classroom. Parents indicated that they were very involved with reading, with the majority reporting that they read with their

child daily, and almost all parents expressed that they promoted reading in the household.

Parents also reported that their children would excitedly point out a visiting author’s books in bookstores. This increased interest by students indicates that the program was memorable following the visit and thus had an impact on the students.

Librarians and Teachers Our survey also had question sets for librarians and

teachers. This allowed us to understand the impacts of the program from a wide range of perspectives. This survey was the primary method to reach participating teachers and librarians. Their responses suggested that students involved in the program displayed an increased interest in reading the author’s works after the school visit. Librarians explained that authors’ books would often be quickly checked out after an author’s visit and if all of the author’s books were already checked out of the library, students would look for similarly themed books. After the visit, teachers found that students remain interested in creating content similar to the authors, through reading, writing, and illustrating.

Low Name Recognition Finally, we found that the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura

organization has low name recognition among schools across the country. The schools we contacted had no preexisting knowledge of Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, their Writers in Schools Programme, or even their former name, the NZ Book Council, despite having had multiple visits from authors. This was evident when we called schools to arrange a visit and found that our team had to introduce ourselves and the organization to every school administrator and staff member to whom we were referred. Our team found that there was no established point of contact between Read NZ and schools that have had the program. The overall lack of recognition about Read NZ was mentioned by authors involved in the program, as well. This confusion may be because Read NZ recently changed their name and some of the external communication and outreach documents have not been updated to reflect this shift, such as Read NZ’s Twitter username, Wikipedia page, and Writers in Schools booking confirmation emails, which all still use the former title of NZ Book Council.

Recommendations Based on our findings, we identified recommendations

in three main areas. Each recommendation either addresses increasing preparedness by all program participants, increasing organization name recognition and awareness, or collecting additional participant data.

1. Increase Preparedness for All Program Participants

The Writers in Schools Programme is most effective when all participants are well prepared for an author’s visit. We suggest having an information packet or worksheet, created by the author, which would introduce students to pertinent background on an author prior to the visit. These packets would help ensure a basic understanding of the author’s work and aid teachers in creating lesson plans leading up to the visit. We also suggest that Read NZ Te Pou Muramura run workshops for new authors, giving them an opportunity to learn more about the program and what a successful visit would entail. Workshops could be led by experienced authors who had previously successfully utilized activities and interesting techniques in

their visits. These workshops would help authors devise effective ways to convey their stories to students without having to go through a burdensome trial and error process in the classroom. We also suggest that Read NZ Te Pou Muramura offer a mentorship program for new authors. This would address the trial and error approach that many authors described when asked how they developed their presentations. With this, an author that is new to the Writers in Schools Programme could shadow a more experienced author. This would allow them to see effective practices to engage students and help them develop their own, unique, ways to present their work.

2. Increase Organization Name Recognition and Awareness Name recognition for the program is an issue. As Read NZ Te Pou Muramura currently has accounts on all major social media platforms, we suggest that they utilize built-in features to sponsor important posts. Sponsored posts would allow Read NZ to reach an audience that extends beyond their current following and establish brand awareness. Read NZ can target these posts based on age, location, and interests.

We also suggest that Read NZ work with schools to improve the relationship between each other. This can happen by having the schools establish a main point of contact within the school, that will streamline booking and coordinating visits. We also suggest that Read NZ offer an incentive for referrals, encouraging teachers and librarians to promote the program among their peers. Upon a successful referral resulting in an author visit, rewards could include a discounted visit by an author, or additional copies of books by a visiting author to be placed in that school’s library. Feedback from teachers and librarians indicated that the booking process is confusing. To ensure that all schools can easily understand the program and the booking process, we suggest a webpage with clear instructions and lists of available authors. Another possible element for the webpage could be a calendar of when authors were visiting certain areas. Authors travel to different parts of the country to visit the school that requested them. Showing when authors plan on visiting an area would allow schools to better plan their visits and optimize the authors time.

3. Collect Additional Participant Data Currently, surveys sent out following an author's visit only gather feedback from authors and teachers. We suggest that a form or activity geared towards students be created that can be distributed shortly after an author’s visit. This activity, or survey, would invite students to reflect on their experience with the author and generate feedback on what they learned from the experience. Understanding students' viewpoints will help authors better adapt their presentations. We also suggest sending updated surveys to authors and teachers right after the visit and six months after the visit. Updating survey questions for authors and teachers would ensure that the organization consistently collects data regarding the reach and importance of the program. Survey questions could address noticeable differences in students’ reading habits. Improving these survey questions would help the organization to continuously take in valuable data. The organization could consider sending out a second survey six months following the visit. This survey would be beneficial for the collection of data regarding the lasting impacts of the program.

xv

1

Chapter 1: Introduction New Zealand has an official literacy rate of 99% (New

Zealand Literacy Rate, 2019); however, as many as 43% of the population is not capable of reading at a high-functioning level (Mitchell, 2018). A literate person is someone who can participate in everyday life, but many citizens do not have the capacity to advance in any type of professional setting (Mitchell, 2018). In recent years, New Zealand has slipped in their educational rankings compared with other countries and with national literacy rates failing to ensure consistently high-quality benchmarks, there is a critical need to instill a love of reading in the nation’s youth (Redmond, 2019).

Read NZ Te Pou Muramura (Read NZ) is a non-profit organization that supports literacy in New Zealand. It is funded by government grants to offer programs to inspire readers, particularly, the Writers in Schools Programme, which sends local authors into primary and secondary school classrooms. Authors and illustrators who become members of Read NZ may read their works, explain how they became an author, help the students with their own writing or a variety of other activities.

Read NZ designed the Writers in Schools Programme to inspire participation and engagement among students, but little is known about the long-term effectiveness of the program. Collecting short-term and long-term data, in addition to evaluating the program could help the organization promote its program. Previously, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura only collected data from involved teachers and authors. There is no data from students who have experienced the program, or parents of the involved students. Since the goal of the Writers in Schools Programme is to spark a love of reading among students, the feedback of these groups is an essential aspect of meaningful evaluation.

Therefore, the goal of this project is to conduct independent process and outcome evaluations of the Writers in Schools Programme offered by Read NZ. To meet that goal, we identified four objectives. First, to learn the best practices in program evaluation. Second, to document the existing Writers in Schools Programme elements and aims. Third, to identify key indicators and benchmarks for success. And finally, to understand the impacts of the program on students, teachers, parents, and authors.

2

3

Chapter 2: Background This chapter highlights scholarship on the joy of reading

and how it connects to literacy, the educational system in New Zealand, and the social and educational climates of New Zealand. We also discuss the work and programs of Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, the Writers in Schools Programme, previously completed evaluations, and research on how to evaluate programs of this nature.

2.1 Joy of Reading Joy created by the Writers in Schools Programme is the

factor that determines the lasting impact the program has on students, but in order to look for the presence of joy, it first must be defined, “We experience joy when we appraise a situation as indicating increased connection with something good or appraising a connection with some good object that we did not previously feel connected to,” (Watkins, Emmons, Greaves, & Bell, 2018). There is no easy definition of joy and this may be one reason systematic research on joy has been absent (Watkins et al., 2018). However, in recent years researchers have endeavored to empirically examine this emotion (Watkins et al., 2018).

Philip Watkins, Robert Emmons, Madeline Greaves, and

Joshua Bell completed research published in The Journal of Positive Psychology with the goal of ascertaining whether joy was a distinct, positive emotion (Watkins et al., 2018). They conducted three studies to understand joy and its relationship to subjective well-being, or the self-reported measure of well-being typically obtained by questionnaire (Watkins et al., 2018). These studies led to multiple assertions about joy, “First, results from all three studies support our claim that joy is indeed a discrete positive emotion. Second, joy can be reliably measured by self-report. Third, joy is related to, but distinct from gratitude,” (Watkins et al., 2018). Once these studies established that joy can be reliably measured by self-reporting, researchers created a questionnaire that contained questions that can also be used to evaluate the joy of reading (Watkins et al., 2018). The first and most important study to measure joy stated, “Our results provided evidence for the validity of two measures of joy. First, we developed a unidimensional measure of the state joy scale: the SJS. This measure showed good reliability and construct validity and should be useful to researchers interested in investigating joy,” (Watkins et al., 2018). The State Joy Scale is a

4

list of 11 questions designed to elicit responses on the elements that contribute to a sense of joy (Table 1) (Watkins et al., 2018).

Table 1: State Joy Scale Questions

1. In the past week, how often have you felt joyful?

2. In the past week, how often have you felt enthusiastic?

3. Because of the joy I experienced this week time just seemed to fly.

4. This week I found myself enjoying something so much that I lost track of time.

5. This week, I felt free.

6. This week, I felt ready to enjoy whatever opportunity presented itself.

7. Something happened this week that made me feel like celebrating.

8. This week, the reality of my life was the way I feel it should be.

9. This week, I felt free to play.

10. This week, my life went well.

11. This week, life just made sense to me.

Measuring joy can help determine a child’s enjoyment of reading, which is crucial to their success in life. “Studies have shown how reading for pleasure is vital for academic success, mental health, and later economic success. The emphasis here is on reading for pleasure: simply being able to read does not confer the same benefits as actually enjoying it,” (Cowell, 2018). The joy of reading is an important consideration because, when evaluating the long-term effects of a reading program, sparking the joy of reading in children encourages them to independently reach for books outside of school.

If we want our country, and our children, to thrive in the future, we would do well to put the joy of reading back into the heart of education and home life. The quest to get every child reading for pleasure is not just an optional extra – it’s an imperative (Cowell, 2018). Read NZ Te Pou Muramura recognizes that it is

imperative to spark a joy of reading and designed the Writers in Schools Programme for authors to encourage children discover their own enjoyment of reading. One study about reading for pleasure observed that, “Research has repeatedly shown that motivation to read decreases with age, especially if pupils’ attitudes towards reading become less positive […] Thus, if

5

children do not enjoy reading when they are young, then they are unlikely to do so when they get older,” (Clark & Rumbold, 2006). The Journal of Positive Psychology asserts that, “Joy is the motivational system that reinforces return,” (Watkins et al., 2018) which applies to the joy of reading because the more children experience joy while reading, the more reading is

reinforced as a positive activity, which will increase the likelihood that they will reach for books throughout their lives. The Writers in Schools Programme was designed to instill this value in students through inspiring visits from authors who share personal and professional advice.

Image 1: Students with their drawings about the program

6

2.2 The Connection Between the Joy of Reading and Literacy

There are many factors that contribute to a child’s love of reading. For example, the National Library of New Zealand researched the importance of parents in reading development, as well as the importance of reading ability when it comes to

reading enjoyment. The Library developed the “virtuous reading cycle” to demonstrate the linkages between quantity and quality reading and reading enjoyment (Figure 2) (Reading for Pleasure, 2019, Help Your Child Become a Reader 2020).

In 2012, the Research Evidence on Reading for Pleasure Report was assembled by a research group from the United Kingdom. The report showed that reading for pleasure had educational benefits including text comprehension and grammar, vocabulary, positive reading attitudes and self-confidence as a reader (Reading for Pleasure, 2019, Reading for Enjoyment Key to Educational Success, 2019). “Aside from the sheer joy of exercising the imagination, research shows reading for pleasure improves literacy, social skills, health and learning outcomes” (Reading for Pleasure, 2019; Venning, 2015). International research studies suggest that frequent reading for enjoyment has a correlation with reading achievement (Clark & Rumbold, 2006) and a study by the Institute for Education found that pleasure readers had a 14.4% advantage in vocabulary (Sellgren, 2013). Organization for Educational Cooperation and Development (OECD) research shows that reading for pleasure is the most important indicator of a child’s future success and is an even more powerful factor than socio-economic background

Figure 2: The virtuous reading cycle

7

when it comes to lifetime achievement (OECD, 2020). A 2015 report by the Reading Agency, a United Kingdom charity, found that not only does reading for pleasure correlate to academic attainment, it also relates to lower levels of stress and depression. Reading also has social benefits, such as improving empathy and giving an individual insight into the worlds of others (Whitten, 2016). By reading independently, children gain background knowledge and absorb the essentials of grammar and language (Strauss, 2014).

Researcher Christy Whitten says that, “Pleasure reading would obviously have a positive influence on reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary; however, the impact it has on student success in other core subjects could not be understated” (Whitten, 2016). It is clear that reading for pleasure has beneficial relationships both academically and socially, and with the current literacy landscape in New Zealand, Read NZ has numerous programs to support children to become avid independent readers.

8

2.3 Analyzing New Zealand’s Educational System

Understanding the educational system in New Zealand is essential, as it provides a better understanding of how students learn and what difficulties they face. As discussed in this section, New Zealand has a unique educational system, which has sparked the development of programs such as the Writers in Schools Programme. These programs are meant to promote the love of reading in children and create lifelong learners.

2.3.1 Literacy in New Zealand Globally, literacy is an essential aspect of everyday life,

allowing individuals to actively participate in society. Reading promotes self-confidence and aids in the development of future leaders. This confidence also gives individuals the ability to speak up for what they believe in and make a difference in their communities (Te Whāriki, 2019). However, measuring literacy is a complex matter. Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study reports (PIRLS), completed every five years, shows that since 2001, New Zealand has steadily slipped in its global rankings, especially in reading. While New Zealand is comparable to the global median in terms of the percentage of

Figure 3: New Zealand vs global scores for PIRLS

9

students in the advanced category, the 10% who do not meet the lowest benchmark is above the global median of four percent (Figures 3 and 4). Students who are unable to reach the lowest benchmark lack the ability to understand readings and consequently fall behind in school compared to their peers (Lugg, 2017).

2.3.2 New Zealand’s School System

New Zealand has a variety of public and private schools to accommodate students of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Each New

Figure 4:Decrease in national reading scores since 2001 (PISA)

10

Zealand school is meant to provide a comparable education to one another, so that all students are provided with equal opportunities (Valentine, 2012). Kura Kaupapa schools, introduced in in 1990, aim to revitalize Māori language, knowledge and culture (Calman, 2012). Kura Kaupapa are state schools, taught in the Maori language and can be either a full primary or composite structure. While there are numerous types of schools, they all fall into one of the six main categories (Figure 6).

Intermediate schools teach students in years 7 and 8 (11- and 12-year olds), with a unique curriculum featuring an inquiry-based learning approach (Figure 5). This presents students with problems, scenarios and questions rather than facts. Giving them the opportunity to work through information on their own rather than being expected to memorize information (C. Forest, personal communication, February 12, 2020). New Zealand students struggle to attain national literacy benchmarks, with 10% unable to reach the low benchmark. This is in part, due to difficulties with the national curriculum and the teaching methods it utilizes (The Te Whāriki curriculum, 2019). Established in 1996, Te Whāriki is New Zealand’s national curriculum for early childhood education, it was designed to

Figure 5: Inquiry based learning model

11

address cultural differences in the country and standardize education for all students. The Te Whāriki curriculum focuses on bridging the gap between Māori and European culture. It aims to make students culturally aware, teaching about both Māori and European backgrounds in order to create a culturally accepting environment. The curriculum provides a wide range of educational experiences for young children, in partnership with their families. Since its implementation, the effectiveness of the national curriculum is a widely debated topic (McLachlan & Arrow, 2011).

Critics note that the curriculum does not address literacy, art, music, and science in Figure 6: School types in New Zealand

12

enough detail to enable students to excel (Blaiklock, 2010). Others say the Te Whāriki curriculum fails because it presents only a bicultural perspective in a largely multicultural population, thus diminishing the importance of cultural complexity (Diglin, 2014).

When first introduced, Te Whāriki created a uniform teaching approach that did not address different learning styles (Zhang, 2017). The four most common types of learners as visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic (Figure 7) (Fleming, 2019). Research shows that each of the four learning types responds best to a different teaching method (Nakano, 2016, Elrick 2018). Te Whāriki instead shifted the focus towards an “emergent literacy mindset,” introducing a “one size fits all” approach (Zhang, 2017). Emergent literacy promotes independent reading and writing, encouraging students to explore text on their own, without constant input from teachers which can cause some students to fall behind. This approach has proven detrimental to the development of many students due to its lack of learning diversity. It focuses on students who learn best through reading and writing, without considering those who succeed through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic methods. In the changing world, addressing different learning capabilities is an essential part of ensuring the success of all students (Hamilton & Vermeren, 2016).

Figure 7: The VARK model

13

2.3.3 Inequalities within Schools Prevalent inequalities in New Zealand schools hinder

student achievement. Students face difficulties with socioeconomic and gender differences, and bullying in schools, all of which discourage learning (Medina & McGregor, 2019). New Zealand is home to approximately 213 different ethnic groups, including the primary European, Māori, Asian, and Pacific Islander (Pasifika) communities. Researchers have found that a greater percentage of Māori and Pasifika children fall into the low educational achievement category. This is because they often live in a lower socio-economic community as well as face racism and unconscious bias within schools. Many Māori children feel a sense of not belonging in their schools and are often more likely to be excluded by peers, or expelled by teachers (Walters, 2018; Wilkinson, 1998).

Schools and government officials have worked to diminish inequalities and improve educational quality. In 2018, the Children’s Commissioner outlined four focus areas for improvement. These included listening to children and their opinions, improving outcomes for Maori children, protecting children’s rights to full-time education, and reducing

suspensions and exclusions from schools (Walters, 2018). Read NZ Te Pou Muramura’s Writers in Schools Programme works to overcome these inequities by introducing students to inspiring individuals. The organization works with authors of different racial backgrounds, giving students the ability to see someone similar to themselves.

While these inequalities affect a student’s ability to learn, they are not the only factor contributing to a student’s success or lack of success. Factors such as effective reading habits, reading strategies, accessible reading opportunities, instruction that suits their learning style, and access to digital reading also influence students (Medina & McGregor, 2019). The reduced emphasis on literacy, due to the guidelines of the national curriculum, spurred the emergence of several reading programs. Many of these programs aim to spark a joy of reading. They are not only offered by Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, but by other organizations with similar goals (Zhang, 2017).

Many teachers rely on parents to help foster a love of reading (Zhang, 2017). When parents promote reading at home, it helps students become better learners in the classroom, while also generating a joy of reading rather than directly associating reading with schoolwork (Evans, Kelley, Sikora, & Treiman,

14

2010). Household and community environments play a large role in the educational system and it has been found that many schools with low achievement levels have minimal participation from parents and caregivers.

2.4 The Read NZ Organization Read NZ Te Pou Muramura is working to make a

difference among New Zealand’s children. The organization aims to ignite a passion and love for reading within students. The non-profit organization changed its name in 2019 from the NZ Book Council to Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. This shift better represents their focus and commitment to reading, rather than solely promoting books. The new name includes Te Pou Muramura which means “reading is like a glowing flame/blaze” (“What's in a name?”, 2019). Te Pou Muramura infuses their programs with this value by reminding participants that reading implies “moving from darkness into light, as told in the Māori creation story” (“New Zealand Book Council”, 2019).

Read NZ’s Writers in Schools, sends authors into primary and secondary schools. The program served over 300 schools in 2019. Read NZ Te Pou Muramura currently has a database of more than 200 New Zealand authors, with approximately 70

actively participating at any given time (J. Cribb, personal communication, November 5, 2019). With the help of these authors, the Writers in Schools Programme reached approximately 58,000 students in 2019, which increased from 40,000 in 2015.

Image 2: Students at Wellington High School Tayi Tibble visit

15

Read NZ charges a fee to send authors and writers to schools. These fees offset an author’s travel expenses and provide an honorarium to the author. On top of a normal classroom visit, schools can also pay to have workshops or to have the author stay for a full day at school. Many schools budget for the programs but Read NZ Te Pou Muramura receives a majority of its funding from government grants, including the Creative New Zealand and Foundation North grants. These funders allocate money to programs based on the impacts observed in the community. Thus, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura seeks additional ways to

demonstrate the value of the Writers in Schools Programme. Showcasing the impacts of the program on students may encourage further support and funding for the organization.

16

2.5 Learning from Previous

Evaluations To demonstrate the success of the programs offered by the

organization, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura commissioned two prior program evaluations: a 2007 evaluation of “The Sky is the Limit When You Read” program by Cognition Consulting; and a 2009 evaluation of the Writers in Schools Programme by the Lift Education group. Both evaluations used either surveys or focus groups to reach the desired program participants who were, primarily teachers. The 2007 evaluation was focused on determining the effects of the program on the students, while the 2009 evaluation provided many ideas for program improvement but did not evaluate any impacts of the Writers in Schools Programme.

2007 Evaluation Read NZ’s the “Sky is the Limit When You Read” program

reached 100 schools each year targeting isolated regions or those of low socioeconomic status (Stuart & Bowker, 2007). It identified three primary learning outcomes: student opportunity, student motivation, and literacy learning. The evaluators used a mixed-methods approach to this evaluation, including surveys of participating schools, case studies of selected schools, interviews, literature reviews, and demographic analyses. The surveys they used asked questions about how many students took part in the program, what, if anything, the school did to prepare for the visit, and the perceived impacts of the program. They found the programs effectively reached isolated and low socio-economic or less affluent communities (Stuart & Bowker, 2007). Teachers reported that the programs were inspiring and motivating to “at least some of the students”, and “many schools became supporters of the organization” (Stuart & Bowker, 2007).

17

2009 Evaluation The 2009 evaluation of the Writers in Schools

Programme used primarily semi-structured focus groups for data collection. Several questions in the focus group were directed towards Book Council membership, with no clear impact driven questions. (Research on Writers in Schools, 2009). The study identified resources and support that schools needed to engage more effectively to gain the most out of the program. Schools appreciated seeing author profiles on the organization’s website (Research on Writers in Schools, 2009). When looking at how the schools use writers to inspire students to read, they found that personal contact with the author motivated the students to read. Finally, the Lift Education group identified the extent to which schools interacted with the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura organization and whether or not schools would become members of the organization following the visit.

18

19

Chapter 3: Methodology The goal of this project was to evaluate the Writers in

Schools Programme in order to determine the impacts of the program on participants such as students and authors, and stakeholders including parents and teachers (Figure 8). In order to achieve this goal, we developed the following objectives:

1. Learn best practices in program evaluation 2. Document the existing program elements and

aims 3. Identify indicators and benchmarks for

evaluation 4. Understand the impacts of the program on

students, teachers, authors, and parents

Figure 8: Objectives and methods

20

3.1 Learning Best Practices in Program Evaluation

Developing a well-constructed evaluation of the Writers in Schools Programme requires learning the best practices in evaluation and childhood education. Evaluation expert and Worcester Polytechnic Institute Professor Paula Quinn and early childhood education expert from the United States D.J. Jensen participated in semi-structured interviews designed for learning the best practices regarding evaluations of children (Harvey-Jordan & Long, 2001). A simple survey would not be effective to elicit informative responses from young school-age children. These experts suggested different in-class activities that would keep the students actively participating and encourage them to provide their honest thoughts regarding reading and the program.

Both interviewees agreed that the age of the children is the biggest factor when determining what makes a successful evaluation. Jensen provided indicators of a love of reading in children and explained how those indicators change as the child ages, these differences are further discussed in findings. Quinn discussed several key factors regarding an evaluation of

students at the intermediate age level (11-12 years old), including the importance of remembering the author’s visit and including multiple types of activities within just the one-hour time frame we were given to work with the students.

Image 3: Students participating in poster activity

21

3.2 Document the Existing Writers in Schools Programme Aims

To gain a deeper understanding of the Writers in Schools Programme, we critically assessed the existing program. Through participant-observation we sought to learn how students, teachers, and librarians interacted with the program. The team evaluated survey results from teachers and authors collected by Read NZ Te Pou Muramura from 2014-2019 about the Writers in Schools Programme. This included data from every school that participated in the program, how often they hosted an author and post-visit survey responses from teachers. These data provided a baseline for assessing the effects of the program on students and enabled the team to identify indicators and other measurable benchmarks.

Additionally, the team observed the Writers in Schools Programme at Wellington High School, with students aged 13 to 18 and local author and poet Tayi Tibble. Using hand-written field notes and participant observation of how the author worked with students, and what strategies they used to get

students interested in reading, we gained a deeper understanding of how the Writers in Schools Programme currently operates. Our worksheet to record the overall engagement of the author during the in-classroom observation can be found in Appendix A.

Image 4: Wellington High School author visit

22

3.3 Identify Key Indicators and Benchmarks for Success

To successfully evaluate the program, the team identified a set of indicators of success. These indicators provided a pathway to determine the impact of the program on students and whether or not they find joy in reading. Understanding how children define and describe their own love of reading helped us better understand key characteristics of a successful program. Measuring the joy of reading in five-to-17-year-old students (the target age of the Writers in Schools Programme), required us to consider different variables, benchmarks, and indicators. One such indicator would be if interest in reading increases in the classroom following an author visit. Another possible metric might be increased reading scores on standardized tests is.

We identified key indicators through research into evaluation standards and reading programs, as well as interviews. For example, professionals in the fields of childhood education and evaluation were able to explain the behavior children express after a meaningful experience, their insight was critical to the development of our evaluation and is

discussed in our findings. This knowledge let us analyze how the Writers in Schools Programme impacted children's love of reading. These indicators provided a means to measure success. The form used to record indicators can be found in Appendix B.

Image 5: Student at St. Bernadette's book launch

23

3.4 Understand the Impacts of the Program on Students, Parents, Teachers, and Authors

In order to understand the impact of the program on students, parents, teachers and authors we needed to understand various ways to get feedback from each of these groups. The program intends to spark a love of reading among students, making their feedback an essential aspect of a meaningful evaluation. We developed/adapted electronic and paper surveys to find out the opinions of each group about the program, as well as about reading for pleasure. We also created a suite of interactive, in-class activities for intermediate age students (11 and 12-year-olds) to understand how the Writers in School program resonated with them six months following the visit. We sought to understand whether the program was memorable to children, and whether the author visit inspired them to read even months after the visit. We used stratified sampling to locate schools from each region of New Zealand. We selected one school from each of the non-Wellington regions and selected ten schools from within

the Wellington region. The team contacted 26 schools across the country in coordination with the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura team to set up a visit with students who had previously experienced the Writers in Schools Programme. Only one of the schools that responded had the time to schedule a visit. The school chosen was due to the convenience of location and response from the librarian. The team worked directly with the year eight students at Raroa Intermediate School in Wellington.

We developed a series of activities for the students which were completed during a one-hour visit to the school. Des Hunt visited the school during the 2019 school year and the eight students we talked to attended his program and volunteered to participate in our activities. The students divided into two groups of four to initiate more in-depth conversations at each of the planned activities which were set up in stations for the students to rotate through. The first activity was a focus group of four students, chosen to encourage open discussion about the Writers in Schools Programme. A drawing and illustration activity included prompts designed to get the students to think creatively about reading and the visit from the author. The team

24

provided art supplies to the students and prompted them with questions regarding their reading habits and memories of the author visit, following each drawing the students explained what they drew and why, the list of prompts is in Appendix C.

The final activity included the entire group of eight students and had posters with questions such as “how often do you read for fun” and “what was your favorite part about the author’s visit.” Asking these questions in the form of this activity let the students answer without feeling pressured by what their peers responses might have been. The posters also served to display the data in a visually appealing and interesting manner. We gave the students a colored piece of paper to write their responses and tape them to the poster. While in-between stations, the students completed a paper survey which gave the team additional information about their school and reading habits. The questions from the focus group, the drawing activity, the survey and the poster activity can all be found in Appendix C. We compiled explanations and tips for running the activities as well as all necessary materials into a toolkit found in Appendix D. The team reached out to several local authors who had previously participated in the Writers in Schools Programme.

Through convenience sampling, we interviewed the five authors who responded with semi-structured questions, both in-person and over the phone (Convenience Sampling, 2019). For the eight who could not meet, a survey was sent out via email. The interview and survey questions can be found in Appendix E.

Through social media outreach in coordination with the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura staff, we posted a survey to the public on the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts of Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. This survey was the primary method of reaching teachers and parents who have been a part of the program. This survey also included questions for authors who were not originally contacted. The questions for this survey can be found in Appendix F.

25

3.5 Data Management We used multiple methods of data collection to record

responses from program participants. We utilized audio recordings of the Raroa focus group discussions and extracted key quotes and ideas from these recordings. Upon research completion, the team deleted the audio files. Another avenue of response collection was through surveys on Survey Monkey. The team also created this survey using the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura account, so they already have access to it and can

continue to review the data. Our final method of capturing data was through taking pictures of the Raroa students and of their drawings completed during our visit to the school. The physical copies of the drawings and student surveys was given to Read NZ. Finally, the team organized, labelled, and sent these pictures to Read NZ.

26

27

Chapter 4: Findings Our team identified short-term and long-term impacts

of the Writers in Schools Programme by coding seven interviews with authors and evaluation experts, analyzing 99 surveys of students, parents, librarians, teachers, and authors, and by completing a classroom observation. Through this analysis of both the program and the Read NZ organization, we found areas that could be improved upon. We present seven main findings pertaining to our evaluation of the Writers in Schools Programme, including findings related to evaluation methods and to creating and identifying joy and inspiration from the program. Furthermore, we identified ways to promote Read NZ as an organization. By talking with evaluation and education experts, we developed age-dependent indicators to establish how the joy of reading manifests in children of intermediate school age (11-12-year-olds). We found that the Writers in Schools Programme generated a joy of reading and inspiration. Additionally, by interviewing and surveying parents, as well as teachers, librarians, and authors, our team determined ways to make the

program more effective and identified indicators the students exhibited which showed that the program had an impact on them. Lastly, we found that there was a lack of name recognition of Read NZ, likely due to their recent name change. We found that people are not fully aware of the Writers in Schools Programme possibly because the organization’s social media and email confirmations still use their former name. Additionally, we identified the absence of established lines of communication between the organization and the schools.

28

Figure 9: Categorizing relevant indicators

29

4.1 Development and Application of Indicators is Age-Dependent

After speaking with authors, teachers, and experts in the field of childhood education, we came to understand what would indicate a successful program with a meaningful impact, and how to implement these indicators in a program evaluation. D.J. Jensen, an early childhood education specialist, helped us to understand the behavior of children ranging from five to seven-year-olds. She also helped us develop ways to elicit information related to indicators from this age group. Discussions with evaluation expert Paula Quinn helped us understand how to use indicators in an evaluation, specifically for intermediate aged students. We found that some common indicators would be if the students participated more in classroom

activities or had an increased interest in reading the author’s works.

Another indicator is that an increased interest in reading among the class as well as more enthusiastic reading indicates that the Writers in Schools Programme had an impact that spans long after the time the author was in the classroom. These findings are explained further in sections 4.2 and 4.3. As children mature, the way in which they react to the program is likely to change, and therefore different age groups will have different indicators for a successful program. The indicators we developed were categorized as either behavioral, emotional, or cognitive (Figure 9).

Image 6: First year students at St. Bernadette’s book launch

30

4.2 Students Find Joy in Reading

We found that all eight students from our classroom observation at Raroa Intermediate experienced the joy of reading both during and after the visit. This group of eight students was 11-12-year-olds, seven of whom were female, and all had experienced writer Des Hunt’s classroom visit six months earlier. We took the assertion from The Journal of Positive Psychology that, “Joy can be reliably measured by self-report,” (Watkins et al., 2018) into consideration when designing our three classroom activities for measuring joy. Our student survey, poster board activity, and focus group activity centered around the students providing information about their own experiences during and after the author visit and also about if any of their habits changed afterwards. By self-reporting the way the author visit made them feel, the students provided us with insight into whether the visit created the joy of reading within this group.

For the survey given to the students, there was a question asking, “What is your favorite part about reading? Please explain.” This was an opportunity for the students to express how reading makes them feel, and all answered

Figure 10: Student responses indicating joy of reading

31

positively with responses ranging from, “Hearing the character’s story, plot twists, it’s easy to do anywhere you just need to bring a good book, I don’t know it’s just great!!!!!!!!!!!!!” to “I really enjoy” (Figure 10).

The definition of joy is “when we appraise a situation as indicating increased connection with something good or appraising a connection with some good object that we did not previously feel connected to” (Watkins et al., 2018). The survey responses from each student indicated an increased connection with something positive, so the surveys were one indication that the Writers in Schools Programme created joy within the students.

We also used the poster board activity to measure joy. There was an entire poster board dedicated to the question, “How does reading make you feel?” Six of the answers were overwhelmingly positive with two neutral answers. Some example answers were, “It often makes me feel the same emotions as the character. Or I just get really absorbed and I feel relaxed and happy!” and “Inspired, hooked, excited” (Figures 11 and 12). Additional responses can be found below Figure 12. Similar to the survey responses, the poster

board answers also appeared to show an increased positive connection which we determined indicated a joy of reading.

Figure 11: Student response to "how do you feel about reading"

32

The final activity used to measure the joy of reading was a focus group. In these groups, two groups of four students were asked, “Did your reading, writing, or illustrating habits increase after the visit?” All eight students who identified that their reading, writing, and illustrating habits increased following the author visit explained that this was due to the happiness the author visit gave them, which led them to feel inspired to spend more time on creative endeavors. Several students also indicated that they started participating in either reading, writing, or illustrating which they had never spent time on before. Each student in at least one way expressed that they enjoyed reading and felt motivated to read after the program which indicates there was a joy of reading present in every student.

Figure 12: Student's response to "how do you feel about reading?"

Additional poster responses:

33

4.3 Engagement and Inspiration Among Students

We spoke with students at Raroa Intermediate, to understand their viewpoints on the Writers in Schools Programme. Des Hunt visited the Raroa Intermediate School during the 2019 school year, approximately 6 months prior to our visit. Des is a young adult author whose books have a strong environmental focus. His books highlight New Zealand's unique ecosystem and are set in areas that young New Zealanders can visit and recognize. During his visit, Des engaged the students through a series of science experiments. This prompted students to think about literacy in a non-traditional way, relating science to the writing process in a unique way.

Speaking with students provided us with a deeper understanding of how the author kept their attention and inspired them to read and write. We concentrated on learning what information the students retained and determining if there were changes in their reading, writing, or illustrating habits following the visit. The students enthusiastically recalled author Des Hunt’s visit. Seven out of the eight students who

participated in this study could vividly recall his name as well as the experiments he presented.

When asked to recall their favorite part of Des Hunt’s visit, one student drew a picture of a whirlpool experiment (Figure 13). The student explained that Des Hunt “added different components to the experiment, each changing the

Figure 13: Drawing of whirlpool experiment

34

color or speed of the whirlpool, eventually leading to a large turnout, representing the climax of a story.” The lesson Des was trying to teach was memorable. The students noted how the visit taught them how to keep a reader interested and build tension.

When asked if any habits changed, all eight students asserted that the amount of time they spent reading or the number of books they read increased. Five students indicated their writing outside of school increased, and three students explained that the time they spend illustrating for fun increased. Every student explained that they were inspired by the author’s excitement about books and the writing process, so their reading frequency increased. The students that enjoyed writing explained that after the science experiments, the writing process made more sense and they were motivated to add more dynamic elements to their own stories following the visit. Finally, the students who enjoyed illustrating explained that it was easier to create scenes to draw after the visit.

Students were prompted to draw how they felt after Des Hunt’s visit (Figures 14 and 15). They expressed feeling inspired and excited to expand their own writing. These drawings demonstrate that this Writers in Schools author visit Figure 14:Student drawing of how they felt after the visit

35

was inspirational for each student who participated in our study in at least one, if not multiple areas.

One student said that the visit encouraged them to think on their own and prepared them for any difficulties they may face when it comes to their own writing. Additionally, students gained confidence in themselves by learning that reading, and writing do not have a formula. Their writing is not meant to be perfect but instead something they always work to improve.

Image 7: Student Participating in Poster Activity Figure 15: Student's drawing of how they felt after the author visit

36

4.4 Parents See Lasting Impacts of the Program

We reached 20 parents whose children had participated in a Writers in Schools Programme via surveys sent out on all of Read NZ’s social media platforms (Figure 18). For those parents who responded saying that their child had been a part of the program, we enquired about their child’s opinion of the program. Most responses were positive, with many parents saying that their child “loved it” or “enjoyed it.” The word cloud in Figure 16 shows the most common responses to this question. The larger the word, the higher the frequency of response. A parent of a student at Heaton Intermediate said, “He loved seeing the authors books in Whitcoull’s and telling me he had met her!” Another parent said that their child “felt privileged that an author shared her time.”

When parents were asked if they noticed any changes in their child’s habits, three said no, but indicated that it was because their child was already an avid reader. Two parents mentioned that their child sought out specific books by the author who had visited the schools, and one said that they noticed the amount that their child wrote increase.

Our background research led us to understand the importance of reading in the home and of parents modelling good reading habits. To learn about the reading environments outside of the classroom, we included several questions about family reading habits. When asked if their child likes to read for fun 54 of all parents responded “yes” and nine responded “sometimes.” We asked all parents how often they read at home with their child and most indicated that they read daily or at least weekly with their child (Figure 17). Finally, we asked the

Figure 16: Word map of parent responses

37

parents if they promoted reading in their homes, and if so, how? The responses were overwhelmingly positive with many creative answers like creating reading score sheets and having frequent family reading discussions, but the most common responses being that they frequented the library with their child or modeled good reading habits (Figure 19).

Figure 17: How often do you read at home with your child(ren)?

71%

9%

8%12%

How Often Do You Read at Home with Your Child(ren)?

Daily Weekly Monthly Other

38

Figure 18: Did your child have an author's visit

Figure 19: How do you promote reading in your home

57%32%

11%

Parent Survey Responses

Child Didn't Have A Visit Child Did Have a Visit

Parent Doesn't Know

2623

14

9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Frequent Library Visits

Modeling Positive Reading Habits

Reading Before Bed

Other

How Do You Promote Reading In Your Home?

39

4.5 Authors Indicate Preparedness and Engagement Increase the Impact of the Programme

We interviewed five authors and surveyed nine to gain an understanding of what they appreciate and find challenging about the program, as well as some of the strategies which they use to engage students in their visits. Many authors noted that having a prepared group of students usually means the students are more interested in the visit and willing to ask deeper questions. Authors also indicated that having an interesting component to the program is critical to the students’ engagement, the most common being writing workshops, reading aloud from books, and presentations.

4.5.1 Value of School Preparedness We found that the authors value teacher engagement

before and during the visit. We found that 13 out of 14 authors suggested teachers should prepare for the visit by reading the author’s stories and talking to the students about the author’s

background. Authors reported that when a class is prepared, students actively participate in the visit by asking the author questions. Currently the schools and the authors communicate to decide what preparation needs to happen for the visit and according to author Don Long, “Sometimes schools clearly communicate how the workshop will fit in with their curriculum, but their follow-up [with preparation] isn’t always what it could be.” Some authors stated that they also want teachers actively involved during the visit. One author requested that teachers “maintain order and respect! And be punctual” for the author visit. Some authors reported that when teachers do not stay involved during the visit, the author feels that they are there as a source of entertainment instead of a learning experience for the students. One author looks for teacher involvement during the visit because “I don’t visit schools simply to be entertainment.”

These data from author interviews and survey responses indicate that having teachers engaged before and during the visit provides students a quality learning opportunity during the visit. Of equal importance is the preparedness of the authors. Read NZ keeps a spreadsheet on author preparedness. A majority of the authors fall into the very good and excellent

40

categories. We found that the author’s preparedness is connected to the engagement the students will feel in the program. During our observation at a high school, it was clear the author did not have a pre-planned program. The school’s teacher often stepped in and guided the program in the direction the teacher thought would be most interesting to the students. When we asked how the author prepared, she expressed that she did not have anything prepared in advance. Instead, she tries to just “go with the flow.”

41

4.5.2 Engagement in the Program Authors use many different strategies to engage the

students, and many try to ensure they incorporate interactive activities into their visit. Each author discussed what they do when they are leading a Writers in Schools Programme. There was a wide range of activities, with the most common being writing workshops and read alouds (Figure 20). Author. Author and illustrator Paul Beavis shared his tactics to keep students engaged during his visits. Something which seemed unique to his experiences was the way in which he talks about the writing process. For Beavis, it took many years to get his first book published and he went through many revisions and edits. He has kept all of the versions of his book from early on sketches to the final product and usually brings these versions to his visits to help

students get an idea of the entire process from an idea to publication. (Figure 21). Showing students that writing is a long process that requires many drafts and edits is something he finds leaves a lasting impression.

Figure 20: Common types of program activities

42

Several authors also mentioned that the number of students at a visit plays a large role in their ability to engage the group for the duration of the program. Authors who have presented to large groups have experienced disinterest among students and increased difficulty connecting with the group compared to smaller classroom visits. Interest throughout the visit and creating unique ways to express their personal stories and writing journeys.

Figure 21: Versions of Mrs. Mo's Monster

43

4.6 Teachers See Increased Interest in Author's Works After Visit

Teachers and librarians are the first to notice the impacts of the program on students. After an author/writer visit, 23 out of the 27 librarians and teachers who answered our online survey noticed that students have a higher interest in reading the work/works from the author. A teacher from King’s School stated, “The books became more popular, as the children were familiar with them and felt a link with the author.” Librarians said if all of the author’s books are already checked out of the library, students will look for similar books. A librarian at Opaheke School stated, “Books similar to the authors were sought out by students, mainly because the author's books were all out! Their books show sustained interest, often borrowed years after with reference to the visiting author!” Furthermore, after the visit, teachers find that students are interested in creating more work similar to the authors’, indicating that the students gained a passion for the author’s work due to the visit to their classroom.

44

4.7 Low Name Recognition of Organization

Finally, we found that the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura organization has poor name recognition among schools across the country. Due to this lack of awareness, we found that when we contacted schools, administrators, librarians, teachers, and even principals, were unable to refer us to the best point of contact to arrange a visit. During our calls to schools, we found that we had to not only introduce ourselves, but also the organization. Often, school representatives told us that they had never heard of Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, or even the NZ Book Council. We were repeatedly met with confusion, and school representatives could not easily direct us to the correct point of contact. This confusion persisted even at schools who have had the program before.

This lack of name recognition was noted by authors involved in the Writers in School Programme as well. Many of them said that schools want to have them visit but had never heard of the Writers in Schools Programme. Author Moira Wairama said that many schools do not book visits because

they do not understand the organization, nor the program or how it works.

During our classroom visit at Wellington High School, author and poet Tayi Tibble gave a talk to students and answered their questions. However, throughout the visit she referred to Read NZ as the “Book Council.” She used this name when she acknowledged the staff at the beginning of her talk, as well as when she thanked participants at the end.

We also found that the organization’s Twitter handle, Wikipedia, and automatic confirmation emails when booking a visit were all still utilizing the organization’s former name. This could be a source of confusion among many people as to whether or not Read NZ and the NZ Book Council are the same organization.

45

46

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Conclusion

Through semi-structured interviews, archival research, surveys, and classroom activities, we were able to identify the impacts of the Writers in Schools Programme on key stakeholders and participants. First, we developed key indicators for evaluation of the intermediate age group. From the in-class activities and survey, we found that students who experienced the program exhibted the joy of reading, and reported feeling engaged during the visit and inspired following it. We found that parents both with children in the program and without promoted reading within their homes. Among these parents 71% reported reading daily with their child and many mentioned taking weekly library trips, or modeling good reading behavior. We also found that preparedness is a key component of program success for authors and schools. Authors mentioned using a variety of tactics to make their programs more engaging and active for the students,

suggesting that engagement is a key component to the program’s success. After the program has happened, teachers and librarians reportedly would see increased interest by students in the works of the author. Sometimes so dramatically that the students would check out all of their work from the library and would have to seek out similar works. Finally, we found that the Read NZ organization has low name recognition across the country.

From these findings, we drew three main conclusions. First that preparedness of all participants is critical for the success of the program. Authors being prepared to present to students and have engaging methods is just as crucial as the teacher preparing the students. With student preparation beforehand, students are immediately aware of the author’s works and backgrounds and are able to prepare possible questions ahead of time, encouraging them to make the most of the visit. Secondly, the organization has low name recognition and awareness across the country. Although the “Read NZ” name is still fairly new, many schools across the country had never heard of “Read NZ” nor the organization’s old name “the New Zealand Book Council.” Additionally, authors who are active participants in the program still refer to the group as the

47

“book council,” and the term “book council” is still a part of their booking process, as well as their twitter username. Finally, we conclude that constantly collecting participant data is a critical way to show the impacts of the program over time. The organization currently collects data from teachers and authors following each author visit, but do not collect any data from students or parents.

48

5.2 Limitations Our team encountered three main limitations: a small

sample size, a limited time frame for field work, and a biased survey audience. The small sample size was due to a limited response rate from schools across the country (Figure 22). This response rate could be attributed to both the lack of name recognition as well as the timing of the project coinciding with the start of school in New Zealand. Initially, the team sent out an email to 26 schools both in the Wellington area as well as across the entire country to communicate the team’s purpose,

why we worked with Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, and what information we wanted to gather from the schools. From the first email, two schools responded which resulted in one scheduled in-person visit, and one additional attempt at coordinating a visit, which was never followed up on by the school. After experiencing such a poor response rate with emails, the team tried directly calling the schools. Upon calling five

Figure 22: Response rate from schools Figure 23: Map of schools contacted across the country

49

Wellington schools, only two answered and from there, school administrators gave us email addresses of possible contacts. The team emailed these contacts and again there were no responses. The team made an additional round of calls to 19 schools with the same five schools in Wellington and 14 schools in areas outside Wellington (Figure 23). Of these schools, 13 out of 14 schools had never heard of Read NZ Te Pou Muramura even though programs have been conducted there before and the team was unable to gain any contacts that responded or were able to arrange for a visit. Secondly, the time for field work was significantly shortened due to the school schedules and summer vacation. School did not begin until the fourth week of our project work, and the schools were preoccupied during the first two weeks of their term, with many schools reporting that they would be unable to accommodate our group so soon after the start of the school year. A final limitation of our data collection was the survey audience. Due to the survey being put out to Read NZ’s followers on social media, the respondents are likely people who are already interested in reading and this bias was considered when we evaluated the data collected from parents.

50

5.3 Recommendations

Increase Preparedness for All Program Participants

1. Provide Information Packets/Guides to Teachers Ahead of Visits

Authors find that visits are more enjoyable when the school is prepared, and that students know about the author prior to their arrival. Therefore, we recommend that Read NZ develop an information packet or worksheet from and about the author. This packet could inform students about the author and enable teachers to plan lessons around the visit. This packet might include basic information about the author, the books they have written, what type of work they do, as well as what type of activities they might do during the visit. Read NZ Te Pou Muramura has this information about each author currently located in the “Writers Files” section of their website, but many schools seemed unaware of this resource or how to best utilize it. Providing this information to teachers would encourage them to prepare their students for the visit and stimulate the students to focus on the purpose of the visit.

2. Offer Workshops for Authors to Develop Program Components

Feedback from teachers and authors indicated that an underprepared author can be detrimental to student interest in their visit. In an effort to ensure that all authors who work with the organization are prepared for a class visit, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura might hold an orientation for authors when they first become a member, and annual workshops for returning members. Workshops could be led by experienced authors who successfully utilize a variety of activities and techniques in their own visits. These workshops would help authors determine how to convey their stories to students without having to go through a potentially ineffective trial-and-error process in the classroom.

3. Utilize an Author Mentorship Program for New Authors

After speaking with a variety of authors. we found that many explain it as a “learn as you go” type of experience. They found what works best for them based on trial and error. Instead of giving new authors no other option than to find what works well in a classroom on their own, it would be beneficial to offer a mentorship system for authors in which authors that are new to the Writers in Schools Programme could shadow a

51

more experienced author. This would give new authors the opportunity to gain more insight into the best practices of student engagement and develop their own unique ways of presenting. Learning what makes for an interactive and exciting visit would be beneficial for new authors, because if they put on an effective visit, they might get more visit requests.

Increase Organization’s Name Recognition and

Awareness

4. Enhance Social Media Presence

While Read NZ Te Pou Muramura currently has accounts on several social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, they are only reaching a very small and specific group of people. Postings could be more tailored towards both advertising and promoting the program. The organization could also use built-in features on various platforms to sponsor their posts so that they reach an audience that extends beyond the following they have already accumulated. While these features come at a cost, they are a simple way to expand outreach, build followers and establish brand awareness. This would help Read NZ to reach a target

audience of schools and teachers who are not current participants. For instance, Instagram utilizes sponsored posts and is a very powerful tool for brand awareness. The more engagement a post receives, the more the post will appear on others’ timelines. This is why having strong, meaningful posts is so essential. Sponsored posts also let you choose targeting criteria such as age, location and interests.

5. Develop Stronger Relationships with Schools

One way that Read NZ Te Pou Muramura could improve the Writers in Schools Programme is by having stronger relationships with the schools. To achieve this, schools should appoint someone as the main contact for Read NZ. Currently it takes an average of six emails to arrange one visit, adding up very quickly to the workload of the Programmes Manager, who is in charge of all of the programs Read NZ offers. Establishing a point of contact at all schools who have the program will make booking and coordinating visits even more streamlined. This will help promote name recognition in the long run for the organization. It would also be beneficial to have a contact at each school who can ensure that feedback surveys or activities are properly distributed following the visit.

52

6. Offer Incentives for Referrals

To increase name recognition in communities of schools and teachers, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura could offer an incentive to encourage teachers and librarians to promote the program among their peers. Upon a successful referral resulting in an author visit, rewards could include a discounted visit by an author, or additional copies of books by a certain author to be placed in that school’s library. Offering incentives for teachers, librarians and schools will help to promote the program without substantially increasing the workload of the current staff at Read NZ Te Pou Muramura.

7. Create a Tool for Booking Awareness and Process

Many survey comments from teachers indicated that they lacked adequate knowledge of Read NZ’s booking process for the Writers in Schools Programme. The teachers said a site with a listing of available authors would be helpful to schools. To ensure that all schools can easily understand the program and the booking process, we suggest a webpage with clear instructions and lists of available authors. Another element that could be included in this tool would be a calendar of when authors were visiting certain areas. For instance, if an author

from Auckland was coming to Wellington for a visit, and it was listed on this site, other local Wellington schools could request a visit from this author while they are in the area. Having a clear way for schools to find out about the program and see if the author they want is available will help increase the amount of bookings for the organization.

Collect Additional Participant Data

8. Create a Form or Activity for Teachers to Complete with Students

Following Each Visit

Currently, surveys being sent out following visits address author and teacher perspectives on the visit and the program. While these are important, input from students can provide valuable information to help advance the program. Understanding students' viewpoint helps authors to better adapt their presentations and maximize the impact they have on students. We suggest creating a homework assignment that teachers can send home with students after the author’s visit. This encourages the students to reflect on their experience with the author and generate information on what they learned from the experience. This survey would then be sent back to the Read

53

NZ Te Pou Muramura organization through the school’s primary contact. One possible activity could be the poster activity which we utilized with the intermediate level students.

9. Update Existing Surveys for Authors and Teachers to be More

Results Oriented

Read NZ Te Pou Muramura currently sends out surveys to both authors and teachers following each visit, containing simple questions like “how many students participated in the visit” or asking for book recommendations. Questions like these, while providing data, fail to deliver results about the impact of the Writers in Schools Programme. Updated or expanded survey questions for authors and teachers would ensure that the organization is consistently getting data regarding the reach and importance of the program. Impact-focused questions could be included asking what noticeable differences in students’ habits were, if they were reading more, or checking out more books from the library, etc. Improving these survey questions would help the organization to continuously take in valuable data.

10. Have a Second Survey Sent Out Six Months After the Visit Has

Taken Place

Currently, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura sends out a survey to schools right after the visit. However, in order to measure the lasting effects of the program, we suggest that Read NZ Te Pou Muramura send out surveys six months after an author visit. The results of that survey could be helpful to show funders the tangible effects of the author visit on the students’ literary habits. Currently, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura is able to see immediate, or short-term results of the program. However, they are unable to assess medium or long-term impacts of the program unless they circulate an additional program evaluation.

54

References

Blaiklock, K. (2010). Te Whāriki. The New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum: Is it effective? International Journal of Early Years Education, 18(3), 201-212. doi:10.1080/09669760.2010.521296

Calman, R. (2012). Māori Education – Mātauranga - Māori Education Policy. Retrieved from https://teara.govt.nz/en/maori-education-matauranga/page-7

Clark, C., & Rumbold, K. (2006). Reading for Pleasure: A Research Overview. London, England: National Literacy Trust. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED496343.pdf

Convenience Sampling - Research Methodology. (2019). Retrieved from https://research-methodology.net/sampling-in-primary-data-collection/convenience-sampling/ Cowell, C. (2018). If We Want Our Children to Thrive, Teaching Them to Read is Not Enough – They Must Learn to Enjoy it. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/children-reading-for-pleasure-learning-to-read-a8666611.html Diglin, G. J. (2014). Rethinking Te Whāriki: New Zealand Early Childhood Education, Global Realities, and Intercultural Communicative Competence. (report). Knowledge Cultures, 2(5), 63. Elrick, L. (2018). 4 Types of Learning Styles: How to Accommodate a Diverse Group of Students. Retrieved from https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/types-of-learning-styles/ Evans, M. D. R., Kelley, J., Sikora, J., & Treiman, D. J. (2010). Family Scholarly Culture and Educational Success: Books and Schooling in 27 Nations. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 28(2), 171-197. doi: 10.1016/j.rssm.2010.01.002 Fleming, N. (2019). The VARK Modalities. Retrieved from http://vark-learn.com/introduction-to-vark/the-vark-modalities/ Hamilton, C. A., & Vermeren, L. (2016a). Te Whāriki and Inclusive Education—A Survey of Early Childhood Teacher’s Views. Waikato Journal of Education, 21(1) doi:10.15663/wje. v21i1.195 Harvey-Jordan, S., & Long, S. (2001). The Process and the Pitfalls of Semi-Structured Interviews. Community Practitioner, 74(6), 219. Lugg, R. (2017). New Zealand's Falling Literacy Rates are Due to Poor Teacher Training. Retrieved from https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/99672131/new-zealands-falling-literacy-rates-are-due-to-poor-teacher-training

55

McLachlan, C., & Arrow, A. (2011). Literacy in the Early Years in New Zealand: Policies, Politics and Pressing Reasons for the Change. Literacy, 45(3), 126-133. doi:10.1111/j.1741-4369.2011. 00598.x Medina, E., & McGregor, A. (2019). PISA 2018 - reading experiences of 15-year olds. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/PISA/pisa-2018/pisa-2018-reading-in-new-zealand Mitchell, R. (2018). We are Barely Functioning, Literally. Retrieved from https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/104111160/we-are-barely-functioning-literally Nakano, C. (2016). The Four Different Types of Learners, and what they Mean to Your Presentations. Retrieved from https://blog.prezi.com/the-four-different-types-of-learners-and-what-they-mean-to-your-presentations-infographic/ National Library of New Zealand. (2020.) Help Your Child Become a Reader [Brochure]. New Zealand Book Council Becomes Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.read-nz.org/new-zealand-book-scene/nzbc-stories-details/new-zealand-book-council-becomes-read-nz-te-pou-muramura?pageNum=2 New Zealand Literacy Rate. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/NZL/new-zealand/literacy-rate OECD (2020), Reading performance (PISA) (indicator). doi: 10.1787/79913c69-en (Accessed on 02 March 2020) Reading for Enjoyment Key to Education Success; (2019). Retrieved from https://www.read-nz.org/new-zealand-book-scene/nzbc-stories-details/reading-for-enjoyment-key-to-education-success?pageNum=1 Reading for Pleasure - A Door to Success. (2019). Retrieved from https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/reading-engagement/understanding-reading-engagement/reading-for-pleasure-a-door-to-success Redmond, A., & Moir, J. (2019). International Report Shows Children's Literacy Suffered Under National Standards. Retrieved from https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/99534189/international-report-shows-childrens-literacy-suffered-under-national-standards Research on Writers in Schools; (2009). Lift Education. Sellgren, K. (2013, -09-11). Maths Advantage for Pupils Who Read for Pleasure. BBC News Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/education-24046971 Strauss, V. (2014). Why Kids Should Choose their own Books to Read in School. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/09/08/why-kids-should-choose-their-own-books-to-read-in-school/

56

Stuart, D., & Bowker, T. (2007). Evaluation of the New Zealand Book Council's Programme: The Sky is the Limit When you Read. Cognition Consulting. Te Whāriki. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/te-whariki/ Valentine, K. (2012). Types of Schools in New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/articles/types-of-schools/ Venning, L. (2015). Why is reading for pleasure important? The Reading Agency, Retrieved from https://readingagency.org.uk/news/blog/why-is-reading-for-pleasure-important.html Walters, L. (2018). NZ’s Unequal Education System. Retrieved from https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/10/30/298677/nzs-unequal-education-system Watkins, P. C., Emmons, R. A., Greaves, M. R., & Bell, J. (2018). Joy is a Distinct Positive Emotion: Assessment of Joy and Relationship to Gratitude and Well-Being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(5), 522-539. doi:10.1080/17439760.2017.1414298

What's in a Name? Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Retrieved from https://www.read-nz.org/new-zealand-book-scene/nzbc-stories-details/whats-in-a-name-read-nz-te-pou-muramura?pageNum=6

Whitten, C. (2016). The Impact of Pleasure Reading on Academic Success. The Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research, Retrieved from https://www.shsu.edu/academics/education/journal-of-multidisciplinary-graduate-research/documents/2016/WhittenJournalFinal.pdf

Wilkinson, I. (1998). Dealing with Diversity: Achievement Gaps in Reading Literacy Among New Zealand Students. Reading Research Quarterly, 33(2), 144-167. doi:10.1598/RRQ.33.2.1 Zhang, Q. (2017). Emergent Literacy as Sociocultural Practice: How Well do New Zealand Parents Fit with Te Whāriki? Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 17(1), 69-91. doi:10.1177/1468798415607939

57

Appendix A: Sample Worksheet for Workshop Observation How did the author engage the classroom? What was engaging? Dynamic? Fun? Deep? Emotional? Etc. etc.? What could be improved from the author’s perspective? What about from the students? Notes:

58

Appendix B: List of Indicators and Benchmarks National Statistics Not being able to reach the low benchmark indicates those students are unable to read and understand simple passages → from PIRLS national standards Gender gaps, economic differences, bullying indicates a level of inequality present in schools. Working with children: A successful program is indicated by an increased interest in reading in the classroom after the authors visit compared to before. For younger children (5 years old) the impact of the program will be seen through art and imitation. If the author’s visit was impressionable to a child, it is likely they will draw pictures of the experience or pretend to be the author or character from the book. Seven-year-old children will act differently. If the author’s visit has a large impact on older students, they are more likely to write their own stories, pick up more books to read on their own and make their own books. Books will become part of a child's day

59

Appendix C: Questions for In-School Visit Activities Poster Board Activity How often do you read for fun? How does reading make you feel? What is your favorite book? What was your favorite part about the author's visit? Focus Group Questions Ask about who remembers the author. What about him/her do they remember? Can you summarize what the visit was about? If you were the author, what activities would you do? Did anything about your life change after the visit? Did your reading, writing, or illustrating habits change after the visit? What was your favorite/least favorite part of the author visit? Drawing Activity Questions Draw your favorite place to read. Draw your favorite part of the Writers in Schools program. Draw how you felt following the author’s visit.

60

61

62

Appendix D: Toolkit for School Activities

Evaluation Toolkit

This toolkit encompasses all needed resources for an evaluation of the Writers in Schools Programme. It includes all activities which were field tested at Raroa

Intermediate School in Wellington, as well as an untested activity for primary age students. Also included in this toolkit are survey questions for students and an

example consent form.

Gabriela Doskos Valentina Harrison Carolyn Heighton Kiersten Hoglund

63

Primary School Activity We did not have the opportunity to go into a primary school and test out this activity, however, one of the childhood experts said that she had used activities similar to this before with this age range and they are often successful. With this activity, you would present yourself as a detective that needs help getting new information. You can ask the class to be detectives with you and give half of the class clipboards and detective hats. Ask them to interview their classmates with the questions listed on the activity sheet below. While this is happening you would walk around, listening to their conversations, taking your own notes and keeping the conversations on track when needed. The class could then switch after 10 minutes so that everyone has the chance to be a detective and you can receive feedback from all of the students. The questions for the activity are found on the following page.

64

65

Intermediate School Activity Focus group Below are the following questions which we tested in a focus group with students at Raroa Intermediate. We used groups of 4 students at a time for the focus group and felt that any more than 4-5 students of this age group would be too many to obtain valuable data. We also recommend audio recording the focus group as sometimes there are students talking over each other and it allows the facilitator to be involved and not distracted trying to take notes. Ask about who remembers the author, what about him/her do they remember? Can you summarize what the visit was about? If you were the author, what activities would you do? Did anything about your life change after the visit? Did your reading, writing, or illustrating habits change after the visit? What was your favorite/least favorite part of the visit?

66

Drawing activity Below are the prompts which we tested with students at Raroa Intermediate. We used groups of 4 with two facilitators. Make sure that paper and art supplies are provided for the students. We found that it worked well to start off with an easier drawing, and for the facilitators to participate in the first drawing. We found that the most important part of this activity was asking the students to explain what they drew. For this part, we would also recommend audio recording so that after the visit, it is easy to match up the drawings to the quotes about what they mean. Draw your favorite place to read Draw your favorite part of the author’s visit Draw how you felt after the author’s visit.

67

Poster activity Below are the questions which we tested this activity with at Raroa Intermediate. We tested this activity with a group of 8 students and would recommend not having a group larger than 10 students, or to spread the posters around the room with a large group. We provided the posters as well as sticky notes for students to use. How often do you read for fun? How does reading make you feel? What is your favorite book? What was your favorite part about the author’s visit?

68

Survey We handed out the survey at the start of the classroom activities and asked the group of 8 students at Raroa Intermediate to complete the survey whenever they had a break in the activities. We provided copies of the surveys as well as pens for the students to use filling it out. Below is the survey we used. The sample survey can be found on the following two pages.

69

70

71

Example consent form which can be used to allow for photography, audio recording and visual aids.

72

Appendix E: Interview and Survey Questions for Authors

73

74

75

Appendix F: Survey Questions for Teachers, Parents, Students

and Authors

76

77

78

79

80

81