Written by
Ava Akbarian
Book Week is celebrated by schools and public libraries every year.
It is a celebration of Australian authors and illustrators. Book Week 2022 was held on the 20-26 of August.
Book Week was established in 1945 by ‘The Children’s Book Council of Australia’ to engage young Australians and the community with Australian literature.
Book Week is important to highlight the importance of reading and ignite a love for reading in students.
Each year, CBCA Book Week has a chosen theme. The theme for Book Week 2022 was “Dreaming with eyes open….” with artist Jasmine Seymour.
Classroom teachers or teacher librarians often use the theme to conduct engaging activities.
Common activities include:
“Our Junior School students were visited by kids authors Matt Cosgrove and Sami Bayly during book week. Their energy, creativity and love for a good story was infectious, and our students lapped it up! The week concluded with a special event – the great Book Swap – which saw students donating a book and then swapping it for another. Over $800 was raised to get books into the hands of children in remote Indigenous communities.”St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney
“Our Junior School students were visited by kids authors Matt Cosgrove and Sami Bayly during book week. Their energy, creativity and love for a good story was infectious, and our students lapped it up!
The week concluded with a special event – the great Book Swap – which saw students donating a book and then swapping it for another. Over $800 was raised to get books into the hands of children in remote Indigenous communities.”
Encouraging your child to love reading starts from an early age.There are many benefits of reading for students including:
Research has consistently demonstrated that students who read regularly outside of school, have improved performance and grades.
This includes higher achievement on exams, comprehension skills and increased background knowledge.
Studies also show that reading increases student vocabulary skills.
Consequently, students can learn advanced words and understand advanced words which makes it easier to speak.
This benefits many students to communicate effectively in the future including high school English, any university entry exams with a writing component e.g. LSAT or GAMSAT or in the workplace.
Reading also helps improve critical thinking skills through evaluation, understanding and increases the ability to present reasoned arguments.
Your child will learn how to develop more balanced arguments, articulate themselves more clearly, read critically and absorb information efficiently.
Reading is a primary source of knowledge.
Having your child as a reader helps increase their understanding of human behaviour and ability to emphathise with others. It gives your child a large background when navigating life.
Subsequently, reading enhances your child’s imagination and creativity as they are immersed in new worlds and characters.
In addition, reading is a great way to enhance your child’s mental and emotional wellbeing. A study revealed that reading can lower stress by 68%.
Choosing a school for your child can be difficult, if you wish to receive further information please see Choosing a School NSW 38 or Choosing a School VIC 34.
About
Ava works as a Digital Writer for School Choice Magazine as well as a a contributor to the annual ‘Choosing a School Magazine’.