Being able to ‘read’ is seen as a fundamental skill that enables people to learn and function productively within a society. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2016), states that “Success in any learning area depends on being able to use the significant, identifiable and distinctive literacy that is important for learning.”
Alarmingly, a 2013 report stated “In Australia almost half of the adult population still does not have the minimum standards of literacy to meet the demands of everyday life and work.” (ABS, cited in Shoghi et al.)
How do we try to ensure our children will not become illiterate adults? We read.
Engaging in an individual reading program is highly regarded as the activity that improves a teenage student’s literacy- it also has other benefits:
Reading improves a person’s vocabulary, spelling, writing, and verbal linguistic skills.
Reading makes people more empathetic as they consider the feelings and situations of characters within novels.
Reading, although an independent task, gives people the skills that help them interact socially.
Reading provides entertainment.
Reading improves focus, concentration and memory.
Reading allows people to expand their knowledge of the world.
Reading develops our analytical skills.
Reading acts as stress relief and a tool for improving the quality of sleep.
Middle School students have been set the homework task of reading for a minimum of 20 minutes each day. The Library provides a range of books suitable for all reading levels, across all genres. During the week students are given opportunities to read in class and to select reading material from the Library. Please encourage your children to read every day.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority 2016, ‘What is literacy’, ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 28 February 2019,
Shoghi, A., Willersdorf, E., Braganza, L. and McDonald, M. 2013, 2013 Let’s Read Literature Review, The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne.