Premier Mark McGowan and Education Minister Sue Ellery have today launched the Premier’s Reading Challenge at Warriapendi Primary School, encouraging young Western Australians to get reading.
The challenge will run from Thursday May 5 to Friday September 9, 2022 and is open to all students from Kindergarten to Year 10.
Students participating in the challenge must read at least 12 books over the five-month period to be in the running to win major prizes.
Prizes include a family holiday for the winner in each of the four year group categories, and are available for students who read the most books, as well as those who have shown a significant improvement in their reading habits.
Weekly prizes are also on offer. Students can go in the draw by logging a book per week.
This year’s theme is ‘Reading can take you anywhere’, showcasing to students that a love of reading can open the door to a world of opportunities.
Books can be read across all formats, including audiobooks, Braille and books in any language, and in all genres, including comics and graphic novels.
The McGowan Government is committed to developing the literacy and numeracy skills of all students and today also announced the 2022-23 State Budget will include $2.5 million over five years for a new initiative to assess and support the development of students’ phonics skills from an early age.
Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write by using the sounds of spoken language.
From 2023, the new initiative will help all public primary school students develop the important skills they need to learn how to read and develop a love of reading.
Additional support will be available for teachers so they can give their students any extra help they may need with phonics early in their schooling.
Visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website at www.premiersreadingchallenge.wa.edu.au to register, search over 7,000 book titles and log books read.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
“In the 2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge, the journey begins when you pick your avatar and choose your first book.
“This challenge encourages our kids to read – something that I enjoyed immensely when I was at school, and still love to do today.
“When this challenge was cut by the previous Liberal National Government in 2014, many teachers, parents and students were left disappointed.
“My Government is proud to bring this back. We want children and young people to be inspired to pick up books throughout their lives, and learn early on that reading is a pleasure that really can help take you anywhere.
“We also know that phonics is an essential building block in the reading process, which is why my Government is further investing through this year’s State Budget in developing students’ skills at an early stage in their schooling.”
As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
“I am very pleased that the McGowan Government is bringing back the Premier’s Reading Challenge, which has been revamped to capture students’ imaginations and instil in them a lifelong love of reading.
“It is so important that students read from an early age – it is a fantastic way for them to expand their literacy skills, spark their creativity and learn new things. The more students are reading, the more they build on the important skills they are learning at school.
“With 7,000 titles in various formats to choose from, young Western Australians are bound to enjoy making reading part of their routine.
“Our new Year 1 phonics initiative, funded in the upcoming 2022-23 State Budget, also acknowledges the importance of reading and writing and providing every student with a pathway to success in these fundamental learning areas.”
