Read With Me: New Summer Reading Challenge Helps Tackle The Holiday Learning Dip

Duffy Books in Homes, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, launches The Summer Reading l Pānui Challenge: Read with Me. The reading challenge starts today and encourages students who are going into Years 0–8 in 2026 to read with their whānau over the summer holidays. Students who complete and return the reading and pānui tracker form at the end of the summer holidays will receive a badge and certificate.

Duffy Books in Homes, General Manager, Linda Vagana says, “The Summer Reading Challenge is a great opportunity for students to continue their literacy skills over the summer holidays. It encourages whānau to read together. Children who discover an enjoyment of reading and books now, become adults who inspire a love of reading to their whānau and wider community. Research shows that children who read for 9 minutes a day will be exposed to over 1 million words a year – heck yeah. So let’s get reading whānau.”

Daily reading is encouraged but consistency is key – students will be eligible for a badge and certificate even if they haven’t read every day. Schools, kura, parents and whānau are encouraged to join the challenge and track the days they’ve read together over the summer holidays. The tracker forms can be downloaded from the Parent Portal and completed either digitally or printed.

“We know that children are more likely to maintain the academic skills and knowledge that they learned throughout the school year if they continue to read during the summer holidays. Younger children are more likely to regularly read if they are supported by parents and whānau,” Ministry of Education General Manager, New Zealand Curriculum and Te Whāriki, Hayley Welch says.

Summer reading | pānui challenge: Read with me - Ministry of Education [https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/parent-portal/summer-reading-panui-challenge-read-me]

About Duffy Books in Homes

Duffy Books in Homes is a not-for-profit organisation working with over 560 schools and more than 260 early childhood centres around Aotearoa New Zealand. Since it’s inception in 1994, the organisation has delivered 15 million books into the hands of Kiwi kids. The aim is to inspire a love of books in children, so they become adults who inspire a love of reading. They do this through their literacy programme where schools in priority communities are given the option to become a ‘Duffy school’. Students at Duffy schools receive at least 6 books per year to take home and own. Duffy Books in Homes has a small team in Auckland, with over 200 funding partners and supporters across New Zealand. The programme has been so successful, it has inspired offshoot programmes in Australia and the USA.

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