Based on an analysis of the PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) 2001 data, Tunmer, Chapman and Prochnow (2004) predicted that unless fundamental changes were made to the New Zealand government's Literacy Strategy, the results of the next PIRLS study would show no substantial reduction in the unacceptably large reading achievement gap between good and poor readers. The present study tested that prediction using data from the PIRLS 2006 study. Four questions were addressed: What causes the reading achievement gap? What do the PIRLS 2006 data show? Why hasn't the reading achievement gap narrowed since the PIRLS 2001 study? What can be done to reduce the reading achievement gap? The key finding of the study was that a close examination of the PIRLS 2006 results revealed no significant changes in reading achievement over the past five years. A strategy for reducing the large inequities in outcomes in New Zealand literacy education is presented.