Supporting reading skills of Native children: creating an atmosphere for reading

This paper explores the efforts amongst two indigenous populations, Native Americans and Māori to improve reading and literacy levels of children and young adults. Statistical surveys from the United States of America and New Zealand reveal that literacy rates for their indigenous peoples are significantly lower than the national averages. Although the two countries are vastly different in terms of size and educational structures, the issues related to literacy and reading are remarkably similar. This paper explores those similarities and outlines past and present initiatives for addressing the literacy and reading gap.