ABSTRACT
New Zealand has a history of high engagement in literacy practices. Historical record shows very early adoption of literacy by Ma-ori (the indigenous population), and an enthusiastic tribally based teaching programme, which meant that by the later 1800s over half of adult Ma-ori could read in their own language (Simon, 1998). By the 1990s when the first of the international comparisons of literacy achievement across countries took place, New Zealand 9-year-olds and 14-year-olds were ranked highly (Elley, 1992), and this has been attributed to the presence of widespread literacy practices and high volumes of reading among both adults and students (Guthrie, 1981).
