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ACT Minister's Reading
Challenge |
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In August 2004 The Chief Minister
launched the
Chief Minister's Reading Challenge program for all ACT school
students in years 3-8 inclusive. The program is aimed at
encouraging younger people's interest in reading. |
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The program |
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Students are challenged to read 20
books in one year, 15 of which come from a list compiled by teachers,
authors and publishers. The books are selected by a committee
comprising representatives from the Australian Society of
Authors, Teacher Librarians, the Board of Studies and the English
Teachers' Association. |
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The research |
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'Interest in reading' is a
significant factor in children's literacy and it is the
transition from primary to high school that is associated with the
largest decrease in reading rates. For instance, the study
Young Australians Reading, conducted by the Australian
Centre for Youth Literature 2001, found that reading for pleasure
drops from 45% in primary students to 24% in secondary school
students. |
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Partnership |
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In partnering with the Chief
Minister's Reading Challenge, the Dymocks Children's Charities hopes to motivate
kids to keep reading during this transition period. We want to
foster a love of reading for interest and for pleasure. We want
students to use books to think about who they are relative to
their families, their communities and the wider society. |
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You can play an important part |
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Share a book with a child in your
life. Listen to them read. Together we can improve literacy in
Australia. Remember, Open Books = Open Minds. |
