The Premier's Reading Challenge is a literacy initiative developed by Australian state governments. It is set not as a competitive event, but rather as an individual challenge to each student, as well as to promote a love of reading books. The challenge is run in
New South Wales
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, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
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,
Queensland
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, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
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South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
,
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
and
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
.
Tasmania
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's Labor government joined the other states in 2008.
The Premier's Reading Challenge in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, launched by Premier
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann, , (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and Australian am ...
(2002 to 2011) has one of the highest participation rates in the world for reading challenges. It has been embraced by more than 95% of public, private and religious schools.
Guidelines
The guidelines for the program in each state differ slightly, but students must generally read a minimum of books within a certain number of books, within a certain amount of time. In some states, these books must be a combination of personal choice books and books from a pre-selected list of approved literature.
In South Australia the Premier's Reading Challenge involves students from Reception to Year 12 in reading a minimum of 12 books (but often many more) upon which they are tested for comprehension. At the end of their first year in the Challenge successful students receive a certificate signed by the Premier. At the end of the second year they receive a bronze medal. Then, in subsequent years, silver, gold, "legend" and "hall of fame". Top sports stars, celebrities and children's authors are appointed Premier's Reading Challenge Ambassadors and visit schools to promote the program and read to students. Former Premier Mike Rann, who proposed the Ambassadors and medal components of the scheme, said the medals and end of year medal ceremonies at schools contributed to the success of the program. "At first the younger children love the idea of the medals but then they fall in love with the books", Rann said.
In special needs schools
The NSW Premier's Reading Challenge has been used at Mary Brooksbank School, to help give the pupils with intellectual difficulties as many educational opportunities as are possible. The 50 students which attend the school have all successfully completed the challenge in two consecutive years. Many of the students cannot read independently, and so the books on the list were read to them by the teachers.
In the news
In 2005, the Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge attracted over 130,000 students, with 60,000 of them meeting the requirements for the award by reading 12 books in the set time. In six months, over 1,000,000 books were read by the students.
The ''Sun-Herald'' provided an online section of its website which provides links to articles which can be used as part of the personal choices reading by students in the New South Wales Reading Challenge.
Sun Herald Class Scoop
See also
* Education in Australia
Education in Australia encompasses the sectors of early childhood education (preschool) and primary education (primary schools), followed by secondary education (high schools), and finally tertiary education, which includes higher education (un ...
* Literacy education
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in Writing, written form in some specific context of use. In other wo ...
References
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Reading (process)
Learning to read