Early Reading Together® and Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust

The Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Education Strategy 2018 available here, discusses Mātauranga ā Kura, Transition 1 - Whānau, Early Childhood Educatoin (ECE) to Kura Tuatahi, and includes the following (p.12):

An apocryphal saying attributed to the Jesuit order from the Catholic Church runs: "Give me a child until he is 7 and I will give you the man."

Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri has the same focus. Critical interactions with whānau, friends, religion, school and Iwi leave a lasting imprint on a child. Ensuring a child is supported in an environment that allows values to develop positively is essential.

Formal education plays an essential role in developing a child's experience of the world and of their tribal identity. A positive experience of education at this time sets the platform for a vibrant lifelong learning path.

Lifelong education begins in the home. Parental attitudes to reading and numeracy are critical in a child's formative years. The Early Reading Together® programme shows that when parents are provided the support and tools they are better able to support tamariki learning in the home.