Encouraging students to read for the Premier's Reading Challenge

We all know that reading benefits the “whole person”. It makes you confident in your reading, comprehension and also in your writing. It is a trans-disciplinary skill and every curriculum area at St. Michael’s benefits from our students being involved and active readers.

[source]

Here are 10 ideas that you can try to support your students who have signed up for the 2014 Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge.

1. Take a look at the Premier’s Reading Lists online.  Are there any of your favourite books in the list? Share this revelation with the students that you know who are involved in the challenge.
2. How many students in your tutorial group, class or co-curricular group are “doing the challenge”? Congratulate and praise them for their efforts either as a group or individually.
3. Show a visually engaging teaser or trailer for a book on the list. More and more authors are putting these together to inspire people to read their books. For example: George Ivanoff's Gamers Quest trailer, or Inside a Dog blog has links to places that have book trailers.
4. Can you see an orange challenge badge on the lapel of a student's blazer? Ask the student how they are going and what they are reading at the moment.
5. Are there any books on the challenge list that support your curriculum area or interest areas? Promote these to the students participating. Remember that students can read up to 5 books that are not on the list.
6. For class  tutors, place a visual display in your homeroom that can record how each student is going with the challenge.
7. Pick up a book from the list for yourself to read during quiet times to show support to students who are doing the challenge. Most libraries have a visual indicator of what books are on the challenge list.
8. Hold your own competition for students who are participating in the challenge. Is there another tutor group you can compete with? Reading smack-down between 8 Kilburn and 8 Breen?
9. Watch a movie of one of the books on the list? Lead a discussion on how different the movie is it from the book. For example: How different is the Hunger Games movie from the book?
10. Give students permission to read if they have finished their work before the end of class or before an appointment.  Encourage students to always have their books with them incase they have a spare moment. Regular engagement with books makes reading easier and more rewarding.

Most of all show that you enjoy reading regardless of the form it takes. Whether it is fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels or audiobooks.

Share your experiences with others, be an active role model in our students lives.

Further Reading

• The cognitive benefits of reading fiction
  http://www.refinethemind.com/three-cognitive-benefits-of-reading-fiction/
• Brain function 'boosted for days' after reading a novel
  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/brain-function-boosted-for-days-after-reading-a-novel-9028302.html