Dr Kay Hancock

PAST PRESIDENT

Email: president@nzla.org.nz

I am an independent literacy consultant specialising in the development of instructional reading materials for students in the early years of school. I am passionate about supporting children to become lifelong readers and learners and to surround them with books that make them better readers and want to read more. Research shows reading enjoyment is more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status (OECD 2002).

My teaching career began in 1980 in Christchurch and in 1998 I moved into educational publishing with Learning Media, first as series editor for Ready to Read and the Junior Journal, and later as publisher for all the Ministry of Education’s instructional reading series. Working on the Ready to Read series for so many years sparked my interest in investigating how it all began and in 2018 I completed a PhD about the Ready to Read series 1963-1988 and its importance as New Zealand children’s literature. In recent years I have focused on the development of year 3 chapter books and the Junior Journal with Lift Education.

I’ve been part of the NZLA national executive team since 2020, serving as president 2023-25. Currently, I am also president of the Wellington Literacy Association and we are looking forward to supporting NZLA in hosting the Winds of Change symposium in Wellington in September 2025. I consider NZLA and the regional councils to be a crucial professional network, and I am honoured to be part of this wider team promoting and supporting literacy in Aotearoa.