Learning

Home Reading Celebration

As we settle into the school year, we want to take a moment to talk about why home reading is the only homework we set at our school. We value reading immensely, but we also value your family time. We want home reading to be an opportunity for your child to read for enjoyment and discover new worlds, not a source of stress or pressure at the end of a busy day.

The Magic of 5–10 Minutes a Day

You might wonder if a few minutes of reading really makes a difference. According to Scholastic Australia, reading for just 10 minutes a day exposes your child to more than 600,000 words in a single year—more than double the word exposure of a child who reads for 5 minutes or less. Research shows that this small daily habit significantly improves a child’s general knowledge, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and spelling. Furthermore, reading for just a few minutes has been shown to reduce stress levels by more than two-thirds, making it a perfect wind-down activity rather than a high-pressure chore.

How We Celebrate Home Reading at School

To keep our students motivated, we have a wonderful celebration process in place to track and reward their reading journeys:

Students simply need to bring in their home reading logs or diaries on their set days.
Our Teachers and Educational Assistants (EAs) will check the diaries and keep a record of the number of nights read.
When a student reaches a milestone, an EA will write them a certificate of achievement, which will be presented to them at the line-up assembly at the end of each month. Some students will have received their certificates on Monday for the month of February.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!

Reading isn't just an individual achievement; students will be working together as a grade team to get the whole class to each milestone. When a whole grade group hits a milestone, they will receive a fun, whole-class reward (dietary restrictions and allergies will be catered for):

25 nights: Zooper dooper
50 nights: Pop corn
100 nights: Packet of chips
150 nights: Lolly bag lucky dip
200 nights: Fun size Oreos
250 nights: Hot chips for lunch
300 nights: Pizza party lunch

Tips for Making Reading Fun at Home

Let them choose: All reading is good reading! Comic books, graphic novels, magazines, recipes, and picture books all count towards their 10 minutes.
Be a reading role model: Let your child see you reading for pleasure, whether it's a novel, the newspaper, or a cookbook.
Create a cosy nook: Find a comfortable, dedicated spot free from screens and distractions where you can snuggle up with a book.
Share the load: Read to them, read with them, or have them read to their siblings, a pet, or even their favourite stuffed toys.

Thank you for your ongoing support in fostering a lifelong love of reading in our students. Happy reading!