From 1-to-1 Success to a Bigger Question
When I attended the Davis Learning Strategies symposium, 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, Principal of Waihao Downs School, and Rochelle Booth. (Photo of Ron and Alice Davis who brought the Davis Methods to us.)
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 program, and the results spoke for themselves. 97% on or above national average. 100% of Yr-3 learners who had only had Davis Learning Strategies intervention were on or above 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.
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 realizing 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 to assess the children at their school. That connection would go on to spark lasting change.
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 (Little Millennium Omega International School)—a safe, nurturing space designed specifically for students who had struggled to make progress in reading and writing.
“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 to collaborate with Geoffrey Ashiono in Kakamega in Kenya (see photo). Growing Choices together with Master Dyslexia have been working with Geoffrey, Director of E-Zee Maths Tutoring Centres, supporting dyslexic learners with Davis Methods for 4 years now. Adding scalable Davis Learning Strategies is a natural next step.
And we know it works.
Bringing DLS to More Learners
As part of this commitment, I now offer 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 introduced as a Tier 2 model.
You can learn more about the programme I offer here.
Learn More: DLS in Action in India
👉 Want to dive deeper into the incredible work happening at Omega International School?
Read the full story here on the Davis Blog