When hearing Year 5 student Kainaat Dhuna share her thoughts with the class, it becomes quickly evident that she is an avid reader. Kainaat has access to a great and growing vocabulary ad communicates clearly and accurately.
Kainaat comes into the Library regularly to seek out books that will challenge her - books with rich themes and language. We ask Kainaat what this commitment to a strong reading practice given her: “Reading has expanded my mind by making me think in new and adventurous ways,” she answers, “it also makes me consider situations from many different perspectives.”
So where did this commitment to reading all begin? “The books series Weir Do turned me into an avid reader by introducing me to comedy and helping me to realise that there was much more to reading than just homework!” Kainat has leapt from strength to strength in her reading practice and is now reading the entire Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series, books with a mysterious and descriptive style of writing.
“Reading gives my life more meaning,” she explains, “It gives me anticipation, adventure and sometimes even frustration. To summarise, reading makes me life better in a way nothing else can.” We in the Library couldn’t agree more, and all the research backs this up: commitment to reading leads to higher academic and wellbeing outcomes.
So what advice does Kainaat have for the budding readers at Hume Anglican Grammar? “Stay away from books with lots of pictures and few words such Diary of a Wimpy Kid because they are not good literature. Instead, go towards books like Harry Potter which has a lot of good vocabulary which allows you to imagine the story.” In fact, Hermione Granger is her favourite character, “[she] captivates me the most because she seems to have endless knowledge about all topics and is always needed at key moments in the plot.”
Like Hermione Granger, Kainaat combines her intelligence with application to her studies, allowing her to take the lead, embrace challenges and let her beautiful soul shine.
Siana Einfeld - Teacher Librarian