Junior School
SARAH Caffrey
Head of Teaching and Learning - Junior School
Australian Kids and Family Reading Report
As a mother to three primary aged children, this report really resonated. Prioritising reading time and providing opportunities to read aloud with, and to our children is not an easy task, however it is one that is full of rewards.
In late 2015, Scholastic, in conjunction with YouGov, conducted a survey to explore family attitudes and behaviours in Australia, around reading books for fun. Some of the key findings of this research, based on a nationally representative sample of 1,748 parents and children, including 358 parents of children aged 0–5; 695 parents of children aged 6–17; plus one child aged 6–17 from the same household, are as follows:
Reading aloud at home:
· Across ages, the overwhelming majority of kids (86%) say they love(d) being read books aloud at home or like(d) it a lot—the main reason being because it is a special time with parents.
· More than half of children aged 0–5 (57%) are read aloud to at home 5–7 days a week. This frequency declines to four in 10 kids aged 6–8 (41%), and continues to decrease with age.
· Of those children aged 6–8 whose parents no longer read books aloud at home, half (51%) did not want their parents to stop.
What Makes Frequent Readers?
Frequent readers, those who read books for fun 5–7 days a week, differ substantially from infrequent readers—those who read books for fun less than one day a week. For instance, 91% of frequent readers are currently reading at least one book for fun, while 80% of infrequent readers haven’t read a book for fun in a while.
There are three dynamics that are among the most powerful predictors of reading frequency for children aged 6–17:
- How often a child is read books aloud
- A child’s reading enjoyment
- A child’s knowledge of their reading level
- For children aged 6–11, additional predictors of reading frequency include where they read books for fun, parental involvement in encouraging reading, and how early they started being read books aloud.
- For children aged 12–17, additional predictors of reading frequency include having parents who are frequent readers, the belief that reading books for fun is important, and in-school opportunities to talk about, find and read books.
Encouraging a Love of Reading
· An overwhelming majority of kids aged 6–17 agree that their favourite books—and the ones they are most likely to finish—are the ones they pick out themselves.
· Above all, children aged 6–17 want books that make them laugh, and what parents want in books for children is often the same as what kids want for themselves.
· Nearly three-quarters of kids aged 6–17 (74%) say they would read more if they could find more books that they like.
· Libraries, school book fairs and book club catalogues, and bookshops are the leading sources children aged 6–17 use to find books to read for fun. Parents also frequently turn to libraries and bookshops to find books for their child to read for fun, followed by the school book fair or book club catalogue.
Print Books in a Digital World
· One-third of children aged 6–17 (33%) have read an ebook, with kids aged 12–17 being the most likely to have done so.
· The majority of children aged 6–17 (79%) agree they will always want to read print books, even though there are ebooks available.
With the school holiday break fast approaching, I encourage you to prioritise some reading together time and enjoy the many benefits this activity has to offer.
Year 5 Graduation Assembly
Our Year 5 Graduation Assembly was an absolute highlight of Term 4. The atmosphere was one of excitement, pride and pure joy, these emotions shared by students, parents, teachers and special guests. The Junior School family delighted in watching each and every Year 5 student walk across the bridge to symbolise the continuation of their learning journey, as they depart the Junior School and take the first step into Middle School.
I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the super team behind the smooth running of the event. Without a doubt the occasion was made particularly special by the considered and heartfelt speech made by Miss Ashlee Scott and Miss Rebecca Bland, dedicated to each of their students.
Inquiry Learning
The students in Years 3, 4 and 5 journeyed into the world of real Forensic Science, when ‘A Case of Emergency’ by Education Interactive came to the Junior School.
The students were required to solve a crime by analysing the evidence left at the crime scene. This included studying trace evidence, botany, fingerprint analysis, scat analysis and chromatography.
The students gained exciting and practical insight into problem solving and the world of forensic science.
