University of Cambridge Citations relating to Reading Together®

The 'Quality Education for All' Challenge - University of Cambridge seminar

Background Information (quoting from here): These Cambridge seminars, organized in partnership with Open Society Foundations (OSF), Education International (EI), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), bring together practitioners, researchers and policy-makers committed to enhancing the development of the teaching profession. Working with invited delegates from around the world, the seminars are intended to strengthen the discourse on the future of teaching and teachers.

2014 seminar: The 'Quality Education for All' Challenge (information available here)

Participants prepared their own statements in advance of the October 2014 seminar held at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. The following excerpt is from the Statements document, specifically the statement from Adrienne Alton-Lee (International Academy of Education, New Zealand) titled 'Disciplined Innovation for Equity and Excellence in Education':

International studies show that 'number of books in home' is highly indicative of achievement[3]; the digital divide will only amplify this effect. Parents who try to help their children with reading can inadvertently have reverse influence with persisting negative effects[4], yet one R & D intervention supports schools, parents and community libraries to engage so effectively together that in five hours the impact on achievement is greater than a year's teaching. Families report that what was 'always an angry time for us' is now a positive experience, and productive school-parent partnerships have been established, including with parents whose own schooling was characterised by failure.[5] [p.2]

REFERENCES [p.3]:

3. Mullis, I.V.S., Martin, M.O., Foy, P., & Drucker, K.T. (2012). PIRLS 2011 International Results in Reading. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College.
4. See Chapter 7. Creating educationally powerful connections with family, whānau, and communities. In Robinson, V., Hohepa, M., & Lloyd C. (2009). School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why: Best evidence synthesis (BES) iteration. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education. http://educationcounts.govt.nz/goto/BES
5. See Reading Together® referenced in Chapter 7 of the BES referenced above. For more information see:
www.readingtogether.net.nz and http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/Articles/Article.aspx?ArticleId=8645
Tuck, B., Horgan. L., Franich, C., & Wards, M. (2007, Dec). "School leadership in a school-home partnership: Reading Together" at St Joseph’s Primary School. Wellington: Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme. http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/122507/Tuck-Shool-Leadership-Reading-Together.pdf
Alton-Lee, A. (2004). Improving education policy and practice through an Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme. Invited address to OECD-US Seminar, Evidenced-Based Policy Research, Washington DC, 19-20, April. http://educationcounts.govt.nz/goto/BES.