Although borrowing at the School Library has closed until the start of Term 1 2021, it is crucial that all students continue to read voraciously and engage with quality resources all through the holidays. Reading boosts critical thinking skills, develops empathy, expands language skills and leads to better performance in school, among many other benefits.

In Library lessons, students have identified the many ways they can ensure they have access to books throughout the long summer days. The first suggestion students have made in every class is to visit the local libraries, which are thankfully back open. Being a member of the local library gives your family free access to the BorrowBox app, which contains thousands of electronic and audio books (perfect for travel).

Other tips include:

Allow your children to choose books for pleasure. When children are empowered to self-select books, they will be motivated to read which is proven to both positively impact comprehension and develop lifelong reading habits (Smith, L. & Glasser, M. (2005), ‘The development of embodied cognition: six lessons from babies’, Artificial Life, 11, pp. 13 - 29).

Create a special reading nook at home where your children want to spend time with books. This can be elaborate, or as simple as a comfy chair by the window with a big basket of books beside it. 

Attend literary events together. Bookshops and libraries often host events such as launches, meet-the-author sessions and writing workshops, which all bring books to life. There are a wealth of bookish activities on offer for families, and are often accessible online. A great place to start could be the State Library of Victoria’s “Children and Families” events under the “What’s On” drop down menu.

Incorporate the Icelandic Jolabokaflod tradition into your Christmas festivities. Icelandic people give books to each other on Christmas Eve and then stay up the whole night reading and drinking hot chocolate (although here in the depths of summer, we may have to change it to an iced chocolate). This tradition — dating back to 1944 — has turned them into a country of bookaholics, with Iceland publishing more books per capita than any country in the world.

Assist your child to read books about lives different from their own. When students read books featuring characters from diverse cultural backgrounds, they share the joy of living in a vibrant multicultural society.

We look forward to welcoming all students back into the Library in 2021, and we hope you have a fantastic break full of adventures, relaxation and great books!

Here, we leave you with a quote from one of our favourite avid readers, Albert Einstein:

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairytales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairytales.” 

Siana Einfeld - Library Assistant

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