My 2025 Inquiry Focus

From Pens to Pages: My Reading Inquiry Journey - Connecting Across Cultures

Kia ora koutou!

As the new school year kicks off, I'm excited to share the focus of my teaching inquiry this year. Initially, my mind was set on diving deep into the intricacies of writing processes with my amazing Year 6 learners. I envisioned exploring narrative structures, writing processes, and the magic of crafting interesting sentences. However, as I've spent time getting to know my incredible class and reflected on their unique needs, my focus has gracefully shifted.

My heart and mind have been drawn to the power of reading. Not just decoding words on a page, but truly understanding, connecting with, and being transformed by the stories we encounter. This shift has been further inspired by my recent journey through the BSLA (Better Start Literacy Approach) course at the University of Canterbury. 

Teaching a vibrant and diverse group of Year 6 students – a rich tapestry woven with Polynesian, African, Filipino, Fijian, and Afghanistani threads – has underscored a profound realisation:

"It's not about being culturally compatible with my students, it's about being culturally connected".

What does this mean? 

It means my inquiry will centre on building genuine connections that honour and value the richness of their individual cultural identities within our reading programme.

Inspired by the principles of structured literacy and the imperative of culturally responsive teaching, my inquiry will explore how I can weave these two powerful approaches together. I aim to create a reading environment where:

The fundamentals of reading are explicitly taught: Drawing on the structured literacy framework to build strong foundational skills in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Students feel seen, heard, and valued: By creating opportunities to share their cultural connections to the texts, fostering a sense of belonging, and recognising their cultural knowledge as an asset.

This year, my inquiry will be a journey of learning and growth, not just for my students, but for me too. I'm excited to explore how intentionally integrating structured literacy with culturally responsive practices in our reading class can unlock deeper comprehension, ignite a genuine love for reading, and ultimately empower my Year 6 learners to thrive.

Stay tuned as I share my progress, discoveries, and reflections throughout the year! I'm eager to see the wonderful places our reading adventures will take us.

Ngā mihi nui

Acknowledgement:

A powerful idea that has significantly shaped my approach to this inquiry comes from Dr. Jude Bautista, a senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury, during the recent BSLA Professional Learning Development course. Dr. Bautista emphasised, "You do not have to be culturally compatible with students, you have to be culturally connected." This resonates deeply with my goal of fostering a reading environment where all my Year 6 learners feel seen and valued for their unique cultural backgrounds.

Response to 2025 Manaiakalani Kāhui Ako teacher within-school role

 

What achievement challenge are you considering as an area of focus in 2024 and why? Include in your WHY both evidence and your own passion/expertise.

I’m considering The Achievement Challenge 2 as an area of focus.  - Lift the achievement for boys' writing in Years 1-10

I’m also considering my Inquiry focus question to be around:  The Writing Process

In 2023, I focused on implementing culturally responsive teaching, and I introduced Extended Discussion with my Reading groups (Reciprocal Teaching). This year, my major focus was on Reading Stamina, and there were great positive outcomes. 

However, in 2025 I would like to focus on Writing as I have encountered other significant challenges such as my learners not specifically following the writing process:

Prewriting

Drafting

Revising

Editing

Evaluating

Publishing

What learnings from the 2017 - 2024 CoL teacher inquiries have informed or inspired your thinking?

Since joining Glen Innes School in 2014, I've been immersed in the Manaiakalani pedagogy and kaupapa. Over time, I've grown increasingly familiar with the Learn, Create, Share pedagogy, finding it remarkably easy to explain to friends and family. This clarity and confidence have been empowering.

Zhydah and Kaysee, early CoL teachers at our school, inspired me with their focused inquiries. My own TESOL studies further fueled my passion for inquiry-based learning. In 2023, I decided to take the next step and apply for the CoL within school role.

Witnessing the dedication of past CoL teachers, including myself, and the joy of sharing our achievements has been incredibly motivating. The sense of accomplishment and celebration that comes from this inquiry approach is truly inspiring.

How would your work support Manaiakalani pedagogy and kaupapa?

I will mostly use collaborative pedagogy with my learners. It will be learner-centred so that they are empowered to share their thoughts and opinions freely and confidently.

I will also ensure that learning is ubiquitous and visible as well. For the past two years, I have worked closely with the SLT  and they have been supportive throughout.

My inquiry will follow the learn, create and share model as I dive deeper into writing, create a structured approach to literacy that best meets the needs of my tamariki and share this teaching inquiry with my colleagues at Glen Innes School, and the wider Manaiakalani CoL. 

Which elements of the extensive Manaiakalani research findings inform or challenge you as you think about this?

I explored Edpotential and read the cluster report for Manaiakalani and the school report. Our school writing data suggests that writing is an area of need.

How would you like to be supported in 2025 as you undertake this inquiry?

I have been using a collaborative approach with my colleagues and I will continue to do so so that my work becomes more manageable. 

I am looking forward to engaging with the Manaiakalani team, and other CoL teachers in professional conversations.

Inviting CoL (AS) teachers to observe my writing class and provide feedback.

How would you plan to support your colleagues in your school with their inquiries and/or teaching in the area you are exploring?

I would love to have the opportunity to share my findings during staff meetings and visit classrooms during my release in order to share my findings. Teachers from junior and senior sides are always welcome to my class and I am always willing to share my practices with them. 

2024 CoL Teacher Inquiry: Bursts and Bubbles

 I'm delighted to share my amazing CoL journey with you all. As we arrive at the end of 2024, it's a moment to reflect on the insights gained and anticipate the possibilities ahead! It's been an incredible year of learning and growth. As we reflect on our CoL journey in 2024, I'm filled with gratitude for the insights gained and excited about the possibilities ahead. I'd also like to extend my congratulations to Anjila for sharing her inquiry journey and to all the inspiring CoL teachers who have generously shared their experiences. Your journeys have truly motivated me.

Here is a short reflection of my Inquiry Focus for 2024 and following that, there's a summary of my 2024 Inquiry in the form of a Google Slides presentation.

Kia Ora everyone!

My Inquiry question for this year was: Can reading stamina and increased reading mileage, lead to improved performance in e-asTTle reading comprehension/PAT assessments?

I identified this as my focus when I noticed that many of my students struggled to sustain their attention during extended reading tasks, and their comprehension of complex texts was often limited.

To build a rich picture of my student's learning, I used various assessment tools, including PAT Reading Comprehension, e-asTTle Reading, student voice, recorded lessons, and baseline observations.

During the profiling phase, I noticed a significant gap between my students’ reading ability and their engagement with text. Many students lacked the stamina to read for extended periods, and their comprehension strategies were often ineffective.

After taking a mini-lesson with my focus group and profiling my teaching, I gained valuable insights. For example, I could have asked more probing questions, provided more wait time for students to respond, and reduced my own talking time.

The changes I made in my teaching included:

Implementing small group reading instruction, Increased Variety of Text Types, and Sending extra reading materials home: This strategy helped, especially those learners who had attendance issues. 

This year Glen Innes School has embraced a new learning model, Flip Learning, to enhance student engagement and outcomes. The flip learning is based on the learning theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. 

Our school's implementation of Flip Learning in Terms 3 and 4 provided a valuable platform to enhance student engagement in my reading class. By involving whānau and utilising this strategy, I witnessed a noticeable improvement in collaborative learning. While implementing Flip Learning presented some challenges, consistent communication with whānau through Class Dojo and phone calls was crucial in achieving improvements in student engagement and learning outcomes.

Overall, the changes in student learning are significantly positive, with noticeable improvements in engagement, comprehension, and confidence.

The evidence for this rating includes: increased participation in class discussions, a deeper understanding of complex texts, and accelerated progress in Reading Assessments for my target learners.

A significant takeaway from this inquiry journey is the importance of maintaining engaging, effective, and explicit reading lessons, with a strong emphasis on timed reading exercises.

Remember, friends, every child is a reader, and every reader is a leader. By fostering a love of reading and providing targeted instruction, we can empower our students to reach their full potential.

Read Theory Snapshot

Here is my baseline Time point Data 2 - Evidence of Shift

Hanga- Create Workshop 2024

 "Digital Technologies Empower Creativity"

On Friday, May 31st we had our cluster Teacher Only Day at Panmure Bridge School. The keynote was from Dr. Craig Hansen.
I must say how absolutely stellar your presentation on AI was! Your insights were not only profound but also incredibly engaging. The way you broke down complex concepts and made them accessible to everyone was truly impressive. Thanks for inspiring us! 

During our Kahui Ako workshops, teachers from the Community of Learning (COL) took the initiative to share their technology skills to incorporate "create" activities in their classrooms.

I presented with my colleague Anjila and I absolutely enjoyed it. Our presentation was about how to use "Kleki" and "Polyline" on Google drawing.

 

 

Research Literature - Three pieces of Professional Reading to support my Hypothesis.

Three pieces of Professional Reading to support my Hypothesis.

1. Peer-Assisted Learning/Literacy Strategy

PEER ASSISTED LEARNING/LITERACY STRATEGIES (PALS) is a peer tutoring strategy that can be incorporated into a literacy curriculum to improve fluency, decoding, and comprehension. In PALS, students are divided into pairs and alternate between the roles of the tutor and tutee. Each student takes a turn reading aloud, listening to his/her partner read, and providing systematic feedback to each other. Students are trained to use partner reading, paragraph shrinking, and predication relay during PALS.

2. Inference - Making 

Inference-making at the primary level in reading offers a wealth of benefits for young learners. Here are some key advantages: Boosts Comprehension: By actively making inferences, children go beyond the literal meaning of the text. They use clues and their background knowledge to "read between the lines" and understand the deeper meaning of the story. This leads to a richer and more complete understanding of what they are reading. Strengthens Critical Thinking: Inference-making requires critical thinking skills. Children analyse information, make connections, and draw conclusions based on the text and their own experiences. This strengthens their ability to think critically and solve problems in other areas of learning. Enhances Vocabulary Development: As children encounter unfamiliar words or phrases while making inferences, they are more likely to ask questions and seek clarification. This exposure to new vocabulary helps them expand their word knowledge and improve their overall reading fluency. Improves Engagement: When children actively participate in figuring things out while reading, they become more engaged with the text. Inferencing turns reading from a passive activity into a detective game, making it more enjoyable and motivating. Builds a Foundation for Future Learning: Inference-making is a crucial skill not just for reading, but for all subjects. By developing strong inferencing skills early on, children are better prepared for success in future learning endeavors across various disciplines. In short, inference making at the primary level is a powerful tool that sets children up for success in reading and beyond.

3. Reading Rocket

Here's why reading stamina is important:

Deeper Comprehension: When you can read for longer stretches without getting worn out, you can delve deeper into the text. You have more time to absorb information, make connections, and understand the overall meaning.

Improved Retention: The longer you focus on reading, the better you remember what you've read. This is crucial for learning and academic success.

Greater Enjoyment: Reading stamina allows you to truly get lost in a good book and appreciate the story or information being presented. It can turn reading from a chore into a pleasurable activity.

Academic Advantage:  In school, students with strong reading stamina can tackle longer texts, assignments, and exams with more confidence and ease.

Reading stamina is a child’s ability to focus and read independently for long-ish periods of time without being distracted or without distracting others. Building reading stamina is beneficial for everyone, from children just starting out to adults who want to improve their reading habits. There are many strategies to help you develop this skill, like setting realistic reading goals, choosing engaging materials, and creating a comfortable reading environment.

Hypothesise and Research

Formulating a hypothesis is a crucial step in the teaching inquiry process. It provides direction and clarity, helping me focus my investigation and ultimately improve my teaching practices. By following the steps outlined below, I can create a strong, testable hypothesis that will guide my inquiry and lead to meaningful insights into your educational practice.
Remember, the goal of a hypothesis is not just to find answers, but to foster a deeper understanding of my teaching methods and their impact on my students. 

The steps that I followed to formulate my hypothesis were as follows:

1. Identify the Problem or Question in my teaching practice for Reading.

2. Conduct Preliminary Research by gathering information related to my question. 

3. Defining my Variables by identifying the independent and dependent variable. The independent variable is what I will change, while the dependent variable is what I will measure or observe.

4. Formulate my Hypothesis

As such I came up with three hunches that I have learnt so far about my students and the learning environment.

Given the observed challenges with inference questions and completion of tasks, there may be a need for more focused instruction or practice sessions targeting inference skills to enhance comprehension.

Based  on my observation I came up with this Hunch:

1. If I provide more focused instruction and practice inference skills, then they will be motivated to read more.

Secondly, the observed shyness in some students when reading aloud or sharing ideas could indicate a lack of confidence in their reading abilities. Implementing strategies to build confidence, such as peer support or small group activities, may help alleviate this issue.

Based  on my observation I came up with this Hunch:

2. If I implement strategies such as peer support or small group activities, then there will be more student engagement and participation during reading sessions, as well as a boost in confidence among students who are not so confident to read aloud or share their ideas.

Thirdly, the tendency of some students to guess answers during assessments rather than reading the entire text suggests a possible struggle with sustained attention or reading stamina. Incorporating activities or strategies to improve reading fluency and stamina, such as timed reading exercises or a gradual increase in reading durations, may be beneficial.

Based  on my observation I came up with this Hunch:

3. An emphasis on timed reading exercises and a gradual increase in reading durations will enhance my students' reading stamina.

Here is my SLT Voice: