26 June 2026

Oh for the love of reading, writing and maths

Recently I came across an interesting article titled “Children’s enjoyment of reading, writing and maths drops."

A new national study has found that: NZ children are losing their love for reading, writing and maths. Their confidence is taking a hit too.

According to data from the Curriculum Insights Study (and its predecessor, the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement [NMSSA]), the number of older primary school children who actively dislike these core subjects has roughly doubled since 2018/19.

The numbers show a steady slide in enjoyment and confidence over the last few years:

Year 8 Reading: In 2019, only 8% of Year 8s disliked reading. By 2025, that jumped to 16%. Meanwhile, those who felt they weren't good at it more than doubled, hitting 13%.

Year 6 Reading: Dislike spiked from 4% in 2023 to 11% in 2025.

Year 3 Reading: A small silver lining - fewer children disliked reading (down to 10%). However, their confidence plummeted; only 8% felt they were good at it, compared to 15% a couple of years prior.

Year 8 Maths: The percentage of students who dislike maths jumped from 9% in 2018 to 19% last year and in alignment 19% also now feel they just aren't good at it.

What’s going on?
Sue McDowall, a senior researcher at the NZ Council for Educational Research, points out that reading and success go hand-in-hand. If kids aren't motivated, their skills lessen, making them dislike the subject even more. Sometimes it might just be "test fatigue" (kids were surveyed right after doing actual tests), there is a general global decline in reading motivation.

Some experts also agree that maybe it’s just not that much fun, teachers are under pressure to get through a large list of ‘to-dos’ and children need to sit down and just enjoy a decent book, get curious, have space for self expression and exploration.

Basically we need to keep school inviting and interesting to keep the curiosity afloat.

Now, when I go back and look at our targets for the year I’m pleased with how we have gone beyond reading and writing and maths and ensured other rich areas in our curriculum stay on the stage and don’t exit left! It all links together.

And the good news is that reading continues to be a true strength in school-wide results. Our student attitudes towards the "3 Rs" are, for most, very positive. Even in areas that don’t come easy - as long as they see progress and enjoy success - even small steps - they are willing to put in the work.

I’m also hoping the recent mid-year reports unpacked these subjects with a little more clarity for you. If you haven't had your progress meeting yet - I hope they do unpack with a little more clarity. We want your feedback!

Thank you for your ongoing support on the home learning front.

Ngā mihi nui