Victorian children are immersing themselves in the world of words and the magic of books, as the Premiers’ Reading Challenge returns for 2022.
The initiative promotes the importance of reading for children and students from early childhood to Year 10, while encouraging families to get more involved and support their children’s reading at home.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale is encouraging schools to participate in this year’s Reading Challenge
“Books really do expand the mind, take us places and give us new perspectives so here’s a great opportunity for students of all ages to get involved, learn things and have fun,” she said.
The Reading Challenge encourages students to read a set number of books, depending on their age and level, over the year with their reading efforts recorded online.
Picture books, short stories, poems or non-fiction books in any language all count as part of the challenge.
Children who have not yet started school are challenged to experience 40 books with the help of their families as part of the Premiers’ Reading Challenge for the Early Years.
Most of the books are from Reading Challenge book lists while the remainder can be of the reader’s choosing.
The artwork for the 2022 Challenge theme ‘Discover a new chapter’ has been designed by Anna Zobel, a Victorian-based author and illustrator who was recently listed on the Children’s Book Council of Australia notables list.
The Victorian Government launched the Premiers’ Reading Challenge in February 2005 to promote the importance of reading among school students.
In 2013, the Challenge was expanded to include young children from birth to five, in recognition of the strong evidence showing that reading to young children from birth promotes brain development and language learning.
Since the challenge began, more than 3.5 million students in Victoria have read more than 54 million books.
For more information on the challenge, visit vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge
