2025 Piki Ake Programmes
Results and Feedback
Piki Ake 2025 - Project B
In 2025 the Piki Ake Project B was delivered in partnership with a South Auckland Community organisation. The project was coordinated by Lauano Deborah Riley (Piki Ake Lead Coordinator).
A group of ten Year 6–10 youth enrolled in the programme.
The table below presents the Pre and post Reading and Spelling assessment results for ten students:
|
Student |
Year |
Age |
Reading |
Reading |
Rdg |
Spelling |
Spelling |
Spelling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 F |
7 |
10 |
7 |
- |
- |
10.4 |
11.2 |
10m |
|
2 M |
10 |
15.5 |
17 |
17+ |
1y+ |
15 |
15 |
0 |
|
3 M |
10 |
14.6 |
12.7 |
16y+ |
3y+ |
14.1 |
15 |
11m |
|
4 M |
9 |
13.3 |
14.10 |
15.5 |
1.5y |
13.10 |
15 |
1.2y |
|
5 F |
10 |
14.4 |
13.8 |
15.6 |
1.10y |
11.4 |
13.10 |
2.6y |
|
6 M |
6 |
9 |
8.2 |
10 |
1.10y |
7.10 |
10.11 |
3.2y |
|
7 M |
7 |
11.4 |
- |
- |
- |
9.2 |
10.9 |
1.2y |
|
8 F |
6 |
10.6 |
7.8 |
10.8 |
2.2y |
7.8 |
8.7 |
11m |
|
9 F |
7 |
11.2 |
11.7 |
11.10 |
3m |
10.4 |
15 |
4.8y |
|
10 M |
8 |
12.6 |
6.1 |
- |
- |
5.7 |
6.2 |
7m |
Summary of Reading and Spelling Assessment Results for Ten Students:
Seventy percent (70%) of students made measurable progress in reading, with gains ranging from 3 months to 3 years.
In spelling, 90% of students showed improvement, with progress ranging from 4.8 months to 3.2 years. The remaining 10% maintained the same spelling age but still progressed within the literacy programme, moving from Level 14 to Level 15.
Below are Parent and Student Survey responses received after the Family Feedback evening at the end of the Piki Ake project :
Student Feedback Responses
1. What is the best thing you learned in the programme, and how has it helped you?
- Different definitions and much more
- To get enough sleep!
- The best thing I have learned is my reading because at school I was not the best at reading but when I came to Piki Ake it helped me alot.
- Reading and Spelling.
- It helped me to improve my reading and how to spell.
- The best thing I learned was that I learn better on paper because I stay focussed.
2. How has the Piki Ake programme grown your confidence in reading, writing and speaking?
- It helped me understand my vocab better and learned with everyone at the same level.
- The programme helped me improve in my literacy and through difficult tasks. This made me more confident to read, write and speak.
- Reading - when I was in Year 3 I didn’t know how to read but others did. But now I can read. The activities helped with that.
- Very good.
- More confidence.
- The programme helped me to spell many words and which word goes in the blank sentence.
- I’m more confident in reading out loud to whanau.
3. How did the programme connect to your culture and values?
- Doing it with whanau.
- It improved my patience and resilience.
- It connected me more with my culture.
- It has helped me more!
4. If you could tell Debbie anything that would make Piki Ake better just for you -what would you tell her?
- Do games like spelling bees and some fun group activities.
- Can we get fish & chips?
- More visual stuff, like the fast flashing words and pictures.
- Translations from English to my cultural language. Sometimes I don’t know the name of something of a concept in English but I know the word in my own cultural language.
- Give us better food and make another programme for sports.
- It’s fine the way it is.
- To maybe put in more harder words to spell and with reading. Maybe put in some maths problems!?
- Thank you!
Parent Feedback Responses
1. How did this programme support your child’s learning , growth and whanau?
- This programme helped me to understand more of my son’s learning and where he is at, at the moment.
- She is confident to read, happy to read and more fluid. Huge progress in such a short time has been so encouraging. She was reluctant at first but her success grew in her enjoyment. She is now at her age in reading and 1 year gain in her Spelling.
- Our girl was needing help with her literacy from a young age. With Piki Ake we found her engaged and each week we saw her vocab grow.
- Gave us and our tamaiti that dedicated time and their development. We have seen the growth in our tamariki and enjoyed their excitement every Wednesday.
- The programme has boosted his confidence in reading and encouraged him to read more.
- Commitment to learning, use and understanding of more words.
2. How did the programme strengthen your child’s identity, sense of mana and confidence?
- My son has a lot more confidence in using his words now and actually talks a lot more.
- She grew more confident to come to the tari and engage with her cousins and learn alongside her whananga.
- Much more confident to read out loud. Not so shy and trying to hide with spelling and reading.
- The whanaungatanga every Wednesday and growth in reading/spelling enhanced their confidence and mana.
- As mentioned with his reading ability increasing he’s more confident.
- They set little challenges and made learning fun.
3. How were relationships and care shown in the programme?
- Awesome !
My son feels more Maori now and has met a new whanau in the programme. - Lots of care, it was gentle and supportive. They were not shy to be below expectations, they were able to focus on progress.
- She was always happy to come. Which shows that manaakitanga was amazing.
- Kai, Manaakitanga, Communications, deep commitment to our tamariki development and learning.
- Awesome, he’s been well supported.
4. If you could tell Debbie anything that would make Piki Ake even better just for you- what would you tell her?
- More classes 🙂
- Not sure I will need to ask our mokopuna but super excited that she gets to keep working on Steps subscription and workbooks beyond the programme.
- Nothing - everything was clear and enjoyable. Ngaa mihi nui Debbie.
- Longer in the year, each term of the year.
- Don’t have a lot because I enjoyed the structure.
- Keep it up ! ☺️
- Maybe a little earlier.