In August 2026, The Sapling published an article titled 'The power of reading: A Q&A with Kate De Goldi', available here. An excerpt from the article:
Can you describe your role as Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador, and some of the activities you’ve been undertaking in this role?
The Te Awhi Rito kaupapa is to advocate for and champion the importance of reading for pleasure in the lives of young New Zealanders, their whānau, and communities—in other words everyone!
This means spreading as widely as possible a number of key messages about reading, including:
- the critical importance of oral story, folk tale, purakau, rhyme, song, and reading books aloud to children in the home
- emphasising that reading for pleasure is foundational to successful educational outcomes—hence the vital importance of reading aloud in the classroom and strengthening reading cultures throughout schools, which may be the only places some children have access to books
- the urgent necessity of equitable access for young people to reading material in all the languages of Aotearoa
- the multiple benefits of reading for pleasure across all ages: building empathy and well-being and imaginative stretch; building capacity for sustained focus and critical thinking—all of which contributes to healthy individuals and communities, and, not least, a strong democracy!
Posted: Tuesday 6 October 2026