Read Write Kapiti Tuition

02/04/2026

Term 1 has flown by! I hope all my students have a lovely Easter Break and enjoy their Easter eggs. I've been hearing a lot about their preferred choices this week! I look forward to seeing you all after Easter.

Mary

25/01/2026

Welcome back to 2026!

Just a reminder of term 1 starting dates:

Before/after school lessons start on Monday 2nd February.

In school lessons at Waikanae and Kapakapanui schools start on Thursday 4th February. I will be in school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I will email my timetable to parents this week. I have a couple of vacancies for in school lessons - just get in touch.

Don't forget Friday 5th Feb is Waitangi day, so Friday lessons will start the following week.

15/01/2026

I'm having a great week doing the IMSLE Literacy Teacher Specialist Training from Australia via Zoom, (complete with a pause for one of the Australian teachers who had to remove a snake from her room!).

It's been great to be able to discuss and learn about the latest Science of Reading and Dyslexia research. The rest of the week is continuing to ensure I understand how to apply this knowledge to my teaching so that each student gets individualised reading, writing and spelling lessons through Structured Literacy teaching principles.

After another year of study/practicum, I'll be accredited as a Dyslexia Specialist teacher by the Australian Dyslexia Association. It should be a fun and busy year!

I'm also doing holiday lessons at the moment, and I look forward to seeing everyone else once school restarts.

21/12/2025

Wishing all my students and their families a very Happy Christmas. I hope you are all having some relaxation time in the sun.

I'm reopening for summer holiday lessons on 5th January. Term time lessons will restart on Wednesday 4th February (after school lessons) and Thursday 5th February (in-school lessons). I will confirm times/days for students in the new year via email.

Mary

26/11/2025

Celebrating the end of my 3rd year of Read Write Kapiti!

Thanks to everyone for all your support. We’re all looking forward to the end of term, and then I’ll be reopening in early January for school holiday literacy (to year 10) and maths lessons (to year 4).

Book now to give your child a boost before the beginning of the new school year!

Or book for term 1, 2026. Lessons are available in school time (Waikanae or Kapakapanui School) or in Waikanae after school.

Read Write Kapiti: Structured Literacy Tuition from a qualified teacher in Waikanae. I teach Reading, writing, spelling & maths.

09/11/2025

Well done to my students who took part in the Kapiti Half Marathon/run this morning. And a special congratulations to Miss L who just beat me on the 5km run by 10 seconds!

07/10/2025

Thought people might be interested to know that Wellington waterfront will be illuminated in blue from the 9th to the 12th of October for Dyslexia Awareness Week. Several cities around the country will be doing the same.

02/09/2025

There are some days where all the hard work and effort pays off, and I get to see the results of personalised literacy tuition.

One of my older students who was a non-reader at the beginning of the year, was delighted to tell me that he has started reading a series of books himself that his Dad had to read to him previously. He’s aiming to read all 6 books!

I’m so proud of him and how his confidence and reading skills have improved.

03/08/2025

Structured Literacy catch-up lessons for students (Y1-9) will be available during the term 3 holidays (Mon 21st Sep - Fri 3rd Oct).

You can book via my website, or message me directly.

Read Write Kapiti: Structured Literacy Tuition from a qualified teacher in Waikanae. I teach Reading, writing, spelling & maths.

11/04/2025

We've made it to the end of an extremely busy term 1!

Thanks to all of the students who have worked so hard and made such good progress. Thanks also to their families for their endless support. It's so nice to hear comments like "my son doesn't ask me to read everything for him anymore, he can now read it himself", and from a student: "Thanks Mary, now I'm not at the bottom of the class any more". I had a lovely student this morning who burst in to her lesson with great excitement to tell me that she'd spotted a word containing 'igh' on the McDonald's menu last night. So many students are more confident.

I have a couple of spots still available for students who want to come for lessons in the 2nd week of the holidays. Get in touch if you're interested.

I hope everyone has a lovely Easter Break, and I'm looking forward to seeing you all next term.

Happy Easter!

Mary

24/01/2025

I had an interesting day of Professional Development learning organised by Lifting Literacy Aotearoa, from Prof Nancy Young, describing her Ladder of Reading and Writing. The ladder's aim is to ensure that all children receive the literacy teaching they need to succeed regardless of where they sit on the ladder.

There was also an interesting discussion with the Ministry of Education's representatives and a Professor who's involved with Better Start Literacy. It was great to hear about the latest developments from the MOE including their updated online resources: https://inclusive.tki.org.nz/guides/dyslexia-and-learning/understanding-structured-literacy/