It’s not a competition but a challenge for each student to read more and read more widely based on their own choices as well as compulsory titles on the PRC booklists which open the doors to a rich collection of children’s literature representing a range of books, including fiction, non-fiction, picture books, poetry and drama, and a wide variety of Australian authors.
Chullora Public Principal Bahia Almir said the challenge had been on offer annually for Chullora students for the past four years and it’s made a big difference to language development with most students from migrant backgrounds.
In years gone by, students rarely asked to borrow but now the library has books flying off the shelves.
“By reading widely, the student’s vocabulary expands and their sentence structure and writing style really improves,” she said.
“It also helps with self-expression and develops oral language skills; we’ve also noticed a boost in cognitive development and not just in English but across the entire curriculum.”
Bankstown Girls High School’s Teacher Librarian Sarah Marchant said at least half a dozen students had already completed the challenge which was amazing.
“Last year we had 37 complete the challenge so to already have six finished, is a great achievement with dozens more girls still keenly reading and swapping books,” she said.
“The more they read, the more their confidence increases, it’s wonderful to see.”
Starting in February, the challenge runs until August 23 and students receive a certificate if they complete the challenge which comprises students in K-2 reading 30 books and those in Years 3-10 reading 20 books.
For further info: prc@det.nsw.edu.au.
Visit other worlds in latest challenge
HELPING students escape to magical worlds as well as improving their chances of success in later life, the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is now underway in more than 2,600 government, non-government and home schools, including Chullora Public School and Bankstown Girls High School, across NSW.
