Senior School

A strong literacy program begins with a great library, and at Weeden, we’re fortunate to have a vibrant space where students can come together to enjoy the joy of reading.

The Benefits of Reading

It is undeniable that there are many benefits of reading for a child’s development. It builds so many skills – helping children learn, develop a relationship with the world, understand feelings and emotions and explore narratives and history.  

Focusing on a story, characters and plot is good practice for a child and an interactive way to develop focus. Skills like concentration and focus are very important for school aged children who spend many hours a day listening and interacting with peers and teachers at school.  

Reading, even more than film and tv, is a window to other worlds and times. This is because a child creates the world they’re reading about in their head as they read. Instead of simply telling a child ‘what is what’, a story book invites the child to construct a universe in their own mind.  

Just 20 minutes of reading time a day will expose your child to more than 1.8 million words a year. That means an expanded vocabuarly for your child and more ways for them to express themselves.  

Comprehension skills analytical thinking are built when we read more. Practice makes perfect, so get your child reading more and their skills in analytical thinking and comprehension can increase. Also, we are taught to not believe everything we read and the only way to better understand this is to read a variety of things!  

Happy Reading!