Reading Recovery Trainers, Tutors and literacy academics from Aotearoa New Zealand recently travelled to Indianapolis in the USA to join with other Reading Recovery educators and advocates from around the world for 3 days of meaningful professional development designed to advance Reading Recovery’s mission to support lifelong literacy acquisition.

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Hosted by the International Reading Recovery Trainers Organization (IRRTO), the trainers continue their tradition of international collaboration and learning by presenting this event for Reading Recovery tutors and teacher leaders from around the world. This conference event is held every four years and was last held at Auckland’s Aotea Centre in 2019.

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Tui Tuia and the University were represented by eleven Tutors, Trainers and Education Faculty academics, with much of the funding to attend generously provided by the Marie Clay Trust. This was an outstanding opportunity for our team to continue to consolidate Reading Recovery’s place as a vital intervention for struggling readers and writers, while expanding horizons with exposure to new thinking and learning.

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Three of our Tui Tuia and Faculty delegation (Assoc. Prof. Rebecca Jesson, Prof. Janet Gaffney and Judy Aitken) were also represented at the International Reading Recovery Trainer Organisation Board meeting in the two days prior to the event, with Judy being NZ’s executive board representative, alongside representatives from five other countries. The aim of the board forum centred on maintaining quality, upholding integrity, improving efficiency and effectiveness, while supporting change and growth in Reading Recovery through international collaboration, research, and resource development.