Literacy

KOALA Awards

In previous newsletter editions, I mentioned a fantastic website for discovering books called KOALA. It could also be a great resource for finding last-minute Christmas gift ideas. KOALA stands for Kids Own Australian Literature Awards. As the name suggests, KOALA celebrates Australian authors and empowers students to nominate and vote for their favourite books. This year’s award-winning books have just been announced and are listed below.

Keep Reading Fun Over the Summer

The summer holidays are a wonderful time to relax and enjoy the magic of books. Here are some fun and easy ways to keep your child reading during the break:

• Read Anywhere: Take books on your adventures! Pack a story for the park, the beach, or even a long car trip. Reading in new places adds to the fun.
• Join a Library Program: Many libraries run summer reading challenges or storytime sessions. These activities are a great way to keep reading fresh and social.
• Share Stories Together: Take turns reading chapters aloud, or act out scenes from a favourite book. 
• Mix It Up: Explore audiobooks for road trips or e-books for easy access on the go. A mix of formats keeps things interesting.

The key is to make reading a natural and enjoyable part of the summer holidays. Happy reading!

Fortnightly Segments 

Writing Challenge

If your child enjoys their writing and is keen to write for enjoyment at home, below is a prompt that you could ask your child to write about. 

Write a story where two people meet in an unusual way and become fast friends.

Optional Comprehension Activities

Summarise a book into a comic or story aimed for younger students or your classmates.