This Was the Missing Puzzle Piece: Scaling Davis Learning Strategies

From 1-to-1 Success to a Bigger Question

When I attended the Davis Methods symposium hosted in 2018 at Malvern College, UK, I was still a fairly new facilitator—but already seeing incredible success with my 1-to-1 clients. I’d watched children light up as they began to grasp reading and learning in ways that finally made sense to them. The Davis methods clearly worked. I knew they changed lives.

But I couldn’t stop wondering:
How do we get this to more children?
Could Davis Methods go beyond individual sessions?
Could it be implemented across whole classrooms, even entire schools?
Could it scale?

A New Zealand Model That Opened My Eyes

That question began to find its answer when I met the Davis Learning Strategies (DLS) presenters from New Zealand—Jane Severinsen, then Principal of Waihao Downs School, and Rochelle Booth. 

Thanks to my conversations with them, I could finally see how Davis Learning Strategies could be implemented successfully in a school setting. They weren’t just talking about theory—they were already doing it, and doing it well. Their school had embraced the programme, and the results spoke for themselves. 97% on or above the national average. 100% of Yr-3 learners who had only had the Davis Learning Strategies intervention were on or above the National Average in 2018. They haven’t had to use Reading Recovery funding since then.

Through their real-world example, I saw what was possible—not just for a few students, but for an entire learning community. For the first time, I truly understood what a scalable, school-wide approach could look like.

Some participants at the Davis Dyslexia Symposium (Malvern, UK)  2018

Morning Walks and a Life-Changing Conversation

Around the same time, I also met Priti Venkatesan and her inspiring team from India. As fate would have it, we were staying at the same Airbnb. Each morning, we’d walk together to the symposium sessions—easy, casual walks that turned into deeply meaningful conversations about our work and the children we serve.

During one of those walks, Priti began to share her school’s journey with Davis Learning Strategies, and everything started to fall into place for me.

From Denmark to Chennai: How One Connection Sparked Transformation

Priti explained how they had been searching for something different after realising that traditional special education methods weren’t working. “We were disappointed with the old solutions,” she said. “They were like giving crutches to these children.”

Then they crossed paths with Moniek Geven, a Davis Facilitator from Denmark. Moniek introduced them to Davis Learning Strategies, and eventually, they invited her to India.

Priti said, “Moniek came to India to train us in DLS and mentored us in the implementation of DLS. I created all the assessment formats. We later trained the Indigo teachers in these basic skills assessments in literacy and numeracy.“

That connection with the fellow Davis Facilitators from NZ, India, and Denmark sparked a change that would have a long-lasting impact on the education around the world.

The Indigo Section: A Space Where Children Belong

With Moniek’s support, Priti and her team began to implement DLS in a new, more holistic way. The result was the creation of the Indigo Section of LMOIS (Lalaji Memorial Omega International School)—a safe, nurturing space designed specifically for students who had struggled to make progress in reading and writing. The school name has since been changed to Heartfulness International School-Omega Branch.

Priti explained that previously, the children pulled out of class developed low self-esteem and considered themselves lacking in intelligence.

To remedy this, Priti further explained, saying, “All the at-risk children, the ones who had made little or no progress, were moved to Indigo,” Priti explained. “We made it a separate section because when the children were pulled out of class for remedial help, they were bullied a lot. The children needed to be in an environment where they were accepted in totality.”

What struck me most was the level of care behind every decision. This wasn’t just about a strategy—it was about protecting children’s self-worth while helping them thrive.

My Moment of Clarity

As I listened to Priti, everything clicked.

This was the missing puzzle piece.
Her story confirmed what I had been searching for: a real-world, scalable model of Davis Learning Strategies that made sense on every level—practical, emotional, and educational.

A Strategy That Scales—and Changes Lives

I left the symposium filled with new clarity and conviction. Davis Learning Strategies can scale. It is scalable. And perhaps more importantly, it’s being implemented in ways that honour the unique needs, strengths, and dignity of every child.

This is what happens when passionate educators trust their instincts, step outside the traditional system, and dare to do something different.

Now, more than ever, I’m committed to bringing this to more schools in New Zealand because I’ve seen what’s possible.

Priti and I have also started collaborating with Geoffrey Ashiono, Director of Math E-Zee Tutoring Centres, in Kakamega, Western Kenya.

Growing Choices together with Master Dyslexia – Rachel Barwell – have been working with Geoffrey. He has been supporting dyslexic learners at his maths centres with Davis Methods now for 4 years. For Geoffrey, adding scalable Davis Learning Strategies is a natural next step.

And we know it works.

DLS advocates: Priti Venkatesan (Chennai, India) Claire Ashmore (Aotearoa/New Zealand) Geoffrey Ashiono, (Kakamega, Western Kenya).   

Bringing DLS to More Learners

In New Zealand, as part of this commitment, I can now offer to connect you to trainer presenters of a Davis Learning Strategies programme under the Non-Classroom Teaching Approach (NCTA) model—designed specifically for schools and educators wanting to implement this proven strategy in their own settings. It can be brought in as a Tier 2 model. Rochelle Booth and Alma Holden are trainer presenters for New Zealand.

You can learn more about the programme offered, here.

Learn More: DLS in Action in India

👉 Want to dive deeper into the incredible work happening at Heartfulness International School?
Read the full story here on the Davis Blog