Adventures in the Library
We have a library blog called Caught Between the Covers.
I use the phrase Caught Between the Covers because I believe reading is so important for all. I want to catch children reading, i.e., caught between the covers of a book. The following article gives reasons why reading is so important, not just for children, but for all of us.
Why reading is so important
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It helps your imagination
By reading, you are exposed to so many wonderful things. This helps your imagination when it comes to creating and thinking. By reading, you are painting those pictures of the story in your mind. Books can take you anywhere you want to go.
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Focus and Concentration
When you are reading, you are focusing and concentrating on one thing. By sitting still and reading, you are training your body/mind and your child’s too slow down, relax, and focus on what you are reading. This helps you/your child focus and concentrate on other activities because you are used to doing it.
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Reading Improves your memory
When you read a book, you are taking in all that the book is about. People, places, things… When you read you are using your memory muscle which lies in the Cerebrum part of your brain. Using this muscle helps your memory long term.
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Reading helps with communication
Reading to your children helps build a bond and open up communication. It’s always important to be able to talk with your kids especially when they get into their teenage years. Start reading to them and communicating when they are young, so they have that connection and comfort with talking to you.
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Entertainment
Reading is the best cheap or free entertainment you can get. Love your library and any bookseller, because these books can open up the world you might never have imagined.
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Bonding
Nurturing and one-on-one attention from parents during reading encourages children to form a positive association with books and reading. Also, goes with #4 above – Communication. Reading to your children is another way of showing them, love.
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Language Development
Babies and children learn to talk by hearing words. The more they hear, the more likely they are to talk and understand what’s being said. Your child’s language skills and literacy depend on you talking and reading to them. Now doesn’t that sound important?!
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Cheap or Free Education
Reading a book for something that you want to learn about saves you so much money. We all know how expensive taking classes can be, so why not spend time reading about it instead. You can teach yourself with specific books. Same goes for children. If they are interested in learning about rainbows, they can read books about weather. Or you can read to them. Supplying a variety of books to your children will pique their interests and get them learning even more.
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Fluency
Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression. Powerful and effective language. The more you read, the more fluent you become. Very important for children and adults.
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Reading makes you smarter
We know it’s been proven that reading makes you smarter. Readers display greater knowledge of how things work, vocabulary, and language development, as well as information on people, places, and things. Reading Rocks!!!
This article mentions The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. If you are interested in reading this book, there are copies in the One Card Network libraries system. You can put it on hold yourself or you can ask us to do this for you. There is also an ebook available through the Libby app.
It also mentions the book, Reading Magic by Mem Fox. There are hard copies of this title that can be borrowed from other libraries. Once again, you can put this on hold yourself or we can do it for you.
This brings me to sharing with you about the Premier’s Reading Challenge 2022. This annual challenge is a literacy engagement strategy that requires students to read 12 age-appropriate books in a year. Students who complete the challenge receive an award (a certificate or medal depending on how many challenges have been completed. It is open to all students from Reception to Year 12.To complete the challenge, students need:
- To read 12 books from the start of the school year until the end of week 7, term 3 (Friday September 9, 2022)
- To record the titles or authors of the books they read on their Student Reading Record for their year level. Teachers or parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles can help fill these out.
- To ask their teacher, teacher/librarian, or parent/grandparent etc., to sign each entry on the Student Reading Record to show that the student has read (or shared in the reading of) a book at an appropriate literacy level and that the book title and author are accurate.
Class teachers have been given the information and Student Reading Records. Check in with them if you want to find out how it is working for your child this year.
Recently, we purchased a funky looking chair for the library. I call this my reading chair-a great place to sit when I’m reading stories to the different groups that come into the library.HASS - History and Social Sciences F-4
- a sense of wonder, curiosity and respect about places, people, cultures and systems throughout the world, past and present, and an interest in and enjoyment of the study of these phenomena
- key historical, geographical, civic and economic knowledge of people, places, values and systems, past and present, in local to global contexts
- an understanding and appreciation of historical developments, geographic phenomena, civic values and economic factors that shape society, influence sustainability and create a sense of belonging
- the capacity to use inquiry methods and skills, including questioning, researching using reliable sources, analysing, evaluating and communicating
- dispositions required for effective participation in everyday life, now and in the future, including critical and creative problem-solving, informed decision making, responsible and active citizenship, enterprising financial behaviour and ethical reflection.
I am teaching HASS to the F-2 and 3-4 students this year. The focus for our first unit of work, which comes under the subheading of Geography, will be about gaining skills in mapping, and finding out where we fit into Australia (states and territories). We will also look at where Australia fits into the world, including looking at Australia’s neighbours.