SearchConnections

The appropriateness of age-appropriate reading levels

By Eric Neuman

Issue 108, Term 1 2019

As an educator, especially one who works with books and literacy, it feels taboo to not use or appreciate the value of reading levels, but we have chosen not to apply them in our library. For those not familiar with what they are, reading levels are a measure used by teachers to see how well thei

Leading whole school literacy from the library

By Dr Margaret Merga

Issue 124, Term 1 2023

Literacy is a general capability to be taught across all learning areas in Australian schools. Students use literacy skills to learn and demonstrate their learning across the curriculum, and they need to learn both cross-disciplinary and discipline-specific literacy skills to achieve their academic

Tonight … I’ll be reading! a novel approach to holiday reading

By Siobhan James

Issue 130, Term 3, 2024

How do you get boys reading in the holidays for fun? Sometimes, you have to take an old classic, and serve it up as something new. Books-to-Go was inspired by initiatives playing on the theme of food delivery services, blended with the idea of a ‘Blind date with a book’. Students place their ‘ord

Exploring time and place through children's literature

By Tania McCartney

Issue 97, Term 2 2016

Books can enrich children’s lives beyond measure. Exposure to other people and cultures, whether directly or indirectly, does extraordinary things to children. It opens their heads and crams wonderful things inside. It relaxes their hearts, softens their emotional boundaries, and enriches their m

The importance of multicultural literature

By Marianne Grasso

Issue 96, Term 1 2016

Australian primary schools are more culturally diverse now than ever before. By including multicultural literature in the school library fiction collection, teacher librarians ensure they provide their students with texts that represent the culturally diverse classrooms and home environments in thi

Stopping the slide: improving reading rates in the middle school

By Narelle Keen

Issue 99, Term 4 2016

At each end-of-year assembly, I give out our Champion Reader Award to students in the junior college who have borrowed more than 120 books throughout the year, and to students in the middle and senior college who have borrowed more than 50 books. In our junior college, we always have large numbers

Daring to be different: celebrating diversity in literature

By Ruth Devine

Issue 105, Term 2 2018

My favourite memory growing up is of snuggling under the doona while my dad sat on the edge of the bed and read me a story. It was our cosy, nightly ritual. I would drift off to sleep with a head full of shipwrecks and pirates, fairytale castles and magical faraway trees. Often the stories were o

Improving literacy levels in remote Indigenous communities

By Karen Williams

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

We are all about exciting, engaging, and connecting kids to the wonderful magic of books. We’re about opening a door — for young minds and imaginations — to a world without limits. The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is an Australian organisation that works to reduce low literacy rates among A

Improving reading outcomes for students with dyslexia

By Anna Boyle

Issue 112, Term 1 2020

What is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that involves difficulty in learning to read or in interpreting letters and words. According to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association 2013), it is a developmental disorder that

Celebrating Children's Book Week with the CBCA

By Jane O'Connell

Issue 98, Term 3 2016

Australia’s rich history of storytelling is an important part of our culture. It helps us to make sense of who we are and how we live, and the theme for Children’s Book Week 2016 captures this history beautifully. Australia! Story Country opens up a world of opportunity to engage young readers by

School libraries supporting literacy

By Stephanie Ellis

Issue 99, Term 4 2016

Makerspaces. Innovative learning environments. Online communities. Augmented realities. Digital citizenship. In these times of rapidly changing technologies, increasing amounts of information, and often futile attempts to keep up with the latest trends in school librarianship, it is sometimes handy

The great escape

By Sarah Bakker

Issue 102, Term 3 2017

‘If you truly want to escape this reality all you have to do is open a book and your imagination.’ — Unknown This idea that reading can magically transport you somewhere else is at the heart of this year’s Children’s Book Week theme, Escape to Everywhere. With Book Week fast approaching, w

Leigh Hobbs on the invaluable, irreplaceable school library

By Nicole Richardson

Issue 106, Term 3 2018

Earlier this year, author and illustrator Leigh Hobbs finished his time as Australia’s Children’s Laureate for 2016–17. The role is to promote the importance and transformational power of reading and creativity for young people. During Leigh’s two years as laureate, he passionately campaigned for

Developing low-budget literacy programs in schools

By Sue Bursztynski

Issue 109, Term 2 2019

Writer in residence Last year I retired after many years in the library and classroom, and focused mostly on my writing. However, as I was missing my students, I signed up as a volunteer with the Ardoch Foundation. Ardoch is a children’s education charity focused on improving educational outcomes

Book launches: connecting schools, students and local authors

By Jenna Hildebrand

Issue 109, Term 2 2019

Reading culture As school library staff, we strive every day to establish libraries and resource centres as places that support our students’ reading and information literacy. In our relentless quest to promote reading for pleasure, one major challenge is the structured class context. We need

Digital fluency vs. digital literacy

By Clint Lalonde

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

Recently I’ve been doing a bit of research on digital literacy/digital fluency, to find out whether our post-secondary institutions are currently offering any programs and initiatives that will help instructors to use digital tools effectively. Many organisations have identified a lack of digital

Helping literacy learners: the vital role of librarians

By Kerrie Shanahan

Issue 122, Term 3 2022

We all love that feeling of being lost in a book, fully engrossed in a novel or an interesting biography. As educators it’s also wonderful to see children immersed in books when they too have developed a love of reading. For this to happen, it’s essential that students develop the skills needed

The DANZ Childrens Book Award

By Kate Foster

Issue 126, Term 3 2023

Understanding the value of inviting and listening to a variety of voices is considered the ultimate path to true acceptance. Slowly but surely, more books are being published which shine a light on diverse characters and communities. Furthermore, educators are recognising the importance of adding t

Using technology to promote reading

By Bev Humphrey

Issue 110, Term 3 2019

Encouraging reluctant young people to pick up a book and read for information and pleasure seems to be becoming more difficult every year, especially as the range of digital distractions is ever increasing. To be fair to kids that are addicted to their computer games, tablets etc., it’s definitely

Using the Medium blogging platform to teach critical and digital literacies in art

By Tania Sheko