English News 

Reading results in NAPLAN among Year 9 boys

Exhilarated and excited, I accepted a promising opportunity of appearing in the news article from the ‘The Age’ in a photograph. It was a completely new occasion for me. In a group of 5 boys, we were asked to choose a book that we found interest in reading. Initially, it began normally as an ordinary photo with me having a stiff and anxious pose. However, as ideas sparked, there was a sense of comfort when capturing the photo and we were asked to pose in unusual ways (for instance, lying completely flat or sitting legs crossed on the table). This experience began with anxiety but eventually grew to an enjoyable and rewarding event.

The section of reading in NAPLAN has shown that male students have received lower scores than expected. This is because there has been a large decrease in boys reading compared to the general population of females. Simply asking my male classmates, many of them do not consistently read or have touched a book of their own interest in months. Whilst females being the opposite and having a higher involvement with books. Many female students participating in book clubs and literature clubs. In order to increase the volume of boys reading, there should be more book related activities woven into classes such as reading every English class or even fortnightly library sessions.

Justin Tran

Year 9