Library News
News from the Library:
The cool weather and warm atmosphere of the library have continued to make it a hub for student activity. The library is open each day from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, and on Tuesdays supports Study Club until 4:15 pm. It is wonderful to see a mix of junior and senior students using the space to learn, grow, socialise, and relax.
How to Tackle Reading:
Reading is foundational to student performance across all subjects and in their personal development. Strong literacy skills allow students to excel in problem-solving, critical thinking, and be fluent in communicating (Renaissance Australia, 2025).
Dr Helen Adam of Edith Cowan University released a paper this month explaining how imperative it is to give students a genuine opportunity to read, especially to read for pleasure, to complement the quality instruction received in the classroom (Adam, 2026). At McCarthy, all Year 7 and Year 8 students are given an opportunity to read for pleasure in their regular library reading lessons. All students in the school are encouraged to read every Thursday in mentor group time to also support this.
We ask all students in Year 7 and 8 to be reading regularly as part of their homework routine, at least three times a week for 20 minutes. Alarmingly, 55% of teens read only occasionally and 1 in 4 don’t read at all for pleasure. Children who read for pleasure make greater progress in vocabulary, spelling, mathematics, comprehension, and develop a positive attitude to reading (Adam, 2026).
To engage reluctant readers and support this work at home, you can look at the following:
- Encourage reading for fun - No strings attached; allow reading to move from “work” to “fun”
- Empower Choice - Allow choice in what to read and allow materials to be discarded if they aren’t engaging or serving their purpose. Have discussions about the materials, interests, level, appropriateness.
- Read aloud - Share reading and read aloud together. Discuss what’s being read, ask open-ended questions about their comprehension, the vocabulary, or their enjoyment of the text.
- Use audiobooks - Audiobooks are a great way to engage reluctant readers. Hearing someone read allows listeners to focus on the meaning of a story rather than the mechanical act of decoding text.
- Keep goals manageable - If reading for 20 minutes is a struggle, refine the goal to smaller increments to build reading muscles.
REFERENCES:
6 practical strategies to motivate reluctant readers and increase reading success. Renaissance Australia. (2025, July 3). https://www.renaissance.com.au/2025/07/03/turning-the-page-tackling-the-myths-and-assumptions-that-impede-reading-in-schools-2/
Adam, H. (2026, August 5). NAPLAN: We know how to close the Reading Gap. We must fund it now. EduResearch Matters. https://blog.aare.edu.au/2026/08/05/naplan-we-know-how-to-close-the-reading-gap-we-must-fund-it-now/
Library Programs:
The library programs in Term Three are aligned with the promotion of the August Reading Challenge.
Year 7 is focusing on Australian authors and texts in Term Three. They are looking at short stories by Tim Winton, Paul Jennings, Sally Morgan, Emily Rodda, and Colin Thiele. The texts are all humorous in nature, and students are developing their vocabulary, reflection, and comprehension skills. We are also encouraging the development of wide reading skills. Students are now selecting more materials to be reading independently and are applying their wide reading skills to their analysis of a text. It is great to see so many students growing in confidence in selecting and deconstructing skills independently.
Year 8 is focusing on short stories with increasingly more complex themes, ideas, and experiences. Students are looking at authors such as Roald Dahl, Kurt Vonnegut, Shirley Jackson, Margo Lanagan, and Paul Jennings. The texts explored represent human experiences, societal constructs, and comment on human nature. Year 8 are also developing their wide reading skills and have been selecting materials to analyse and reflect upon independently. They are working to read within or above their reading range to better understand complex texts and vocabulary.
This term the Year 8 HSIE Research Project is focusing on Geography and asking the question “How do the liveability concepts affect human wellbeing in towns and cities?” The liveability concepts we investigate are wellbeing, perceptions, infrastructure, services and facilities, accessibility, sustainability, cultural connection and social connectedness, conflict, natural hazards and environmental quality. Once a fortnight, students visit the library to analyse data, an e-resource, and a newspaper article focussing on particular concepts. During each session, students take notes, construct APA bibliographic references, compare their sources, and write a short reflection addressing the focus question. The project enables students to practice building their library research reading, writing and non-fiction text analysis skills.
Book Week 2026:
In Week 6 (August 24th - 28th), we celebrate the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week. Staff and students will be dressing up on Friday the 28th of August in costumes to celebrate all their favourite books and characters. We will also have activities throughout the week in mentor group, and a costume parade on Friday. Students can enter the costume parade to win prizes in Stage 4, Stage 5, and Stage 6, for the best costumes. We look forward to an exciting celebration of Book Week as a school community.
Premier’s Reading Challenge 2026:
The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) for 2026 is nearing completion. Students have met early in Term Three to update their reading logs. As students finish the challenge, their book lists are being validated. There is still time for students to complete their reading by 18th September. We are excited to celebrate their success.
Bec Hannan
Lead Teacher Librarian
Libby Laird
Teacher Librarian