We hope your students uncovered great mysteries and explored amazing stories through the enchanting world of books. Although the challenge is over for 2023, we would love your students to continue reading.
We will send schools certificates of participation for students who read and logged 12 books or more over the challenge. Schools can present these to students as they wish to celebrate their achievements.
Certificates will be sent mid to late November.
The challenge has finished for 2023 but you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge.
We love to see you celebrate your Premier’s Reading Challenge achievements. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget to tag @PremiersReadingChallengeWA on Facebook and @premiersreadingchallengewa on Instagram and use the hashtags, #PremiersReadingChallengeWA and #ReadingCanTakeYouAnywhere. Share any photos and videos from your school participating in the Premier's Reading Challenge to premiersreadingchallenge@education.wa.edu.au.
Parents, guardians, teachers, education assistants, siblings, study buddies and classmates all play an important role in encouraging students to develop a love of reading. Here are some tips that can help with this:
- make time to read each day – make sure this time is fun and exciting
- suggest books, authors or themes your students may enjoy
- re-tell stories that you have enjoyed
- ask students to make book recommendations to others in class
- for students with language backgrounds other than English, encourage them to read books in their background language.
Parents, guardians, teachers, education assistants, siblings, study buddies and classmates all play an important role in encouraging students to develop a love of reading. Here are some tips that can help with this:
- make time to read each day – make sure this time is fun and exciting
- suggest books, authors or themes your students may enjoy
- re-tell stories that you have enjoyed
- ask students to make book recommendations to others in class
- for students with language backgrounds other than English, encourage them to read books in their background language.
We celebrate language and culture and embrace the power of storytelling. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have such a rich history to share and our Aboriginal Education Teaching and Learning team have provided information on artists, writers, poets and storytellers so you can help your students and school community connect and learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
If any of these book titles or authors are not on the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist, students can add any books they read to their challenge bookshelf.
Find books and authors
Welcome to Country (external link)
Visit this online bookshop to find a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, illustrators, book titles and education resources. Welcome to Country is a not for profile organisation, and every purchase made directly benefits Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities.
In my own words (external link)
In my own words is an uplifting film that shows a group of Aboriginal adults from a small town in New South Wales pick up pen and paper for the first time and begin to learn to read and write. It is suitable for students from Years 10 to 12.
Share this wonderful journey with your students. Australian Teacher of Media have put together a study guide you can use to facilitate discussions with your class.
Australian First Nations young adult books (external link)
The ‘Readings’ bookstore has a number of Australian First Nationals young adult books available to purchase.
Children’s books daily (external link)
A great list of books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and illustrators, with recommendations for primary school students to young adults.
Creative spirits (external link)
Browse contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander poems and share these with your students.
Find Aboriginal literacy networks
First Nations Australian Writers Network (external website)
Browse for First Nations Australia writers, poets and storytellers.
Magabala Books (external website)
Magabala Books is committed to developing new and emerging Indigenous writers, illustrators and storytellers. You will find children’s picture books, junior fiction, young adult literature and a range of other titles and formats.
Indigenous Literacy Foundation (external website)
The foundation is a national charity working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote communities. The foundation responds to requests from remote communities for culturally relevant books including early learning board books, resources and programs to help communities create and publish their stories in languages of their choice.
Find Aboriginal youth support programs
Corroboree for life / Boorloo Hustle (external website)
Think about holding a workshop for your students to engage them in poetry, writing hip hop songs or learning cultural dances.
Ash Penfold is a proud Nyoongar man, who started Corroboree for life to raise awareness around mental health and suicide within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Noongar Language Centre (external website)
Visit the Noongar Language Centre to find and learn all the information about Noongar language.
The centre records and transcribes the Noongar language and dialects and develops language resources for all Noongar clan groups to support, maintain and develop Noongar culture.
Wyemando – Western Australian Language Organisations (external website)
You can find a range of teaching resources from groups and organisations who are undertaking language and cultural work.
Kaartdijin Noongar – Noongar Knowledge (external website)
You can find education resources that links the Kaartdijin Noongar website and the Australian Curriculum for students from Pre-primary to Year 10.
Find information on authors, book titles and other news and information about Aboriginal culture.
We celebrate language and culture and embrace the power of storytelling. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have such a rich history to share and our Aboriginal Education Teaching and Learning team have provided information on artists, writers, poets and storytellers so you can help your students and school community connect and learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
If any of these book titles or authors are not on the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist, students can add any books they read to their challenge bookshelf.
Find books and authors
Welcome to Country (external link)
Visit this online bookshop to find a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, illustrators, book titles and education resources. Welcome to Country is a not for profile organisation, and every purchase made directly benefits Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities.
In my own words (external link)
In my own words is an uplifting film that shows a group of Aboriginal adults from a small town in New South Wales pick up pen and paper for the first time and begin to learn to read and write. It is suitable for students from Years 10 to 12.
Share this wonderful journey with your students. Australian Teacher of Media have put together a study guide you can use to facilitate discussions with your class.
Australian First Nations young adult books (external link)
The ‘Readings’ bookstore has a number of Australian First Nationals young adult books available to purchase.
Children’s books daily (external link)
A great list of books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and illustrators, with recommendations for primary school students to young adults.
Creative spirits (external link)
Browse contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander poems and share these with your students.
Find Aboriginal literacy networks
First Nations Australian Writers Network (external website)
Browse for First Nations Australia writers, poets and storytellers.
Magabala Books (external website)
Magabala Books is committed to developing new and emerging Indigenous writers, illustrators and storytellers. You will find children’s picture books, junior fiction, young adult literature and a range of other titles and formats.
Indigenous Literacy Foundation (external website)
The foundation is a national charity working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote communities. The foundation responds to requests from remote communities for culturally relevant books including early learning board books, resources and programs to help communities create and publish their stories in languages of their choice.
Find Aboriginal youth support programs
Corroboree for life / Boorloo Hustle (external website)
Think about holding a workshop for your students to engage them in poetry, writing hip hop songs or learning cultural dances.
Ash Penfold is a proud Nyoongar man, who started Corroboree for life to raise awareness around mental health and suicide within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Noongar Language Centre (external website)
Visit the Noongar Language Centre to find and learn all the information about Noongar language.
The centre records and transcribes the Noongar language and dialects and develops language resources for all Noongar clan groups to support, maintain and develop Noongar culture.
Wyemando – Western Australian Language Organisations (external website)
You can find a range of teaching resources from groups and organisations who are undertaking language and cultural work.
Kaartdijin Noongar – Noongar Knowledge (external website)
You can find education resources that links the Kaartdijin Noongar website and the Australian Curriculum for students from Pre-primary to Year 10.
Find information on authors, book titles and other news and information about Aboriginal culture.
We have lots of tips for promoting the challenge, encouraging students to participate and engaging with your school community.
Promote the challenge
Ways you could promote the challenge:
- Send a letter to parents and carers about the challenge and encourage them to register their child.
- Display the posters around your school.
- Work with your library to have posters and a display of books.
- Create displays of favourite books, authors, series, genres in the library and classrooms.
- Share stories of student reading success in your assembly and school newsletter.
- Include a link to our website and our online booklist on your school website or in your school newsletter.
- Invite an author, athlete, staff member, politician, parent or carer to virtually share their favourite book with students.
- Organise a student book swap party, children can bring a book and select a book from the swap table.
- Post about the challenge on your Facebook and Instagram.
Encourage students to participate
Some ideas to help you keep up momentum and enthusiasm:
- Encourage students to review books and ask them to recommend books to other like-minded readers. You can showcase these by displaying these recommendations in your classroom or at the library. You might also share these on your school website or social media channels.
- Share student book reviews and celebrate your school's progress in the challenge via your school’s newsletter or social media.
- Display a dynamic or creative book stand in the library.
- Celebrate students' reading achievements by displaying a special board.
- Create a chart for students to place a small star next to their name when they have read a book and a larger star when they have read 12 or more books.
- Build a ‘community of readers’ and promote this as a book club for the school.
- Encourage students in the class to talk about a book they have read and what they enjoyed about the book and the author.
- Invite local authors or illustrators to visit the school and talk about their favourite books.
- Introduce fun activities and quizzes about books in the challenge.
- Organise a dress-up day with students to dress as their favourite book character.
- Display a school list of recommended reads.
- Promote significant dates and events, such as Book Week, Literacy and Numeracy Week and Science Week.
We have lots of tips for promoting the challenge, encouraging students to participate and engaging with your school community.
Promote the challenge
Ways you could promote the challenge:
- Send a letter to parents and carers about the challenge and encourage them to register their child.
- Display the posters around your school.
- Work with your library to have posters and a display of books.
- Create displays of favourite books, authors, series, genres in the library and classrooms.
- Share stories of student reading success in your assembly and school newsletter.
- Include a link to our website and our online booklist on your school website or in your school newsletter.
- Invite an author, athlete, staff member, politician, parent or carer to virtually share their favourite book with students.
- Organise a student book swap party, children can bring a book and select a book from the swap table.
- Post about the challenge on your Facebook and Instagram.
Encourage students to participate
Some ideas to help you keep up momentum and enthusiasm:
- Encourage students to review books and ask them to recommend books to other like-minded readers. You can showcase these by displaying these recommendations in your classroom or at the library. You might also share these on your school website or social media channels.
- Share student book reviews and celebrate your school's progress in the challenge via your school’s newsletter or social media.
- Display a dynamic or creative book stand in the library.
- Celebrate students' reading achievements by displaying a special board.
- Create a chart for students to place a small star next to their name when they have read a book and a larger star when they have read 12 or more books.
- Build a ‘community of readers’ and promote this as a book club for the school.
- Encourage students in the class to talk about a book they have read and what they enjoyed about the book and the author.
- Invite local authors or illustrators to visit the school and talk about their favourite books.
- Introduce fun activities and quizzes about books in the challenge.
- Organise a dress-up day with students to dress as their favourite book character.
- Display a school list of recommended reads.
- Promote significant dates and events, such as Book Week, Literacy and Numeracy Week and Science Week.
We encourage you to recognise students or classes for their efforts. You might like to celebrate:
- the first student, class or year level to complete the challenge
- the best alternative cover for a book
- the best book review in each year level or class
- the best alternative blurb written in one, two or three sentences
- in-class author biographies, book reviews and presentations.
Students who complete the challenge will receive a certificate of achievement. These will be sent to your school and you may like to celebrate this during your school assembly.
Other ideas for celebrating might include:
- holding a free dress day for a year level or a class that are actively engaging in the challenge
- show a lunchtime movie relating to a book
- have a book-related treasure hunt
- put on a sausage sizzle or a class party.
We encourage you to recognise students or classes for their efforts. You might like to celebrate:
- the first student, class or year level to complete the challenge
- the best alternative cover for a book
- the best book review in each year level or class
- the best alternative blurb written in one, two or three sentences
- in-class author biographies, book reviews and presentations.
Students who complete the challenge will receive a certificate of achievement. These will be sent to your school and you may like to celebrate this during your school assembly.
Other ideas for celebrating might include:
- holding a free dress day for a year level or a class that are actively engaging in the challenge
- show a lunchtime movie relating to a book
- have a book-related treasure hunt
- put on a sausage sizzle or a class party.
Not all students are enthusiastic readers. This can be for any number of reasons and may include children:
- from a low literacy background
- from non-English speaking backgrounds
- with processing or sensory issues
- with a disability.
We want to remove as many barriers to students reading as possible. You do a wonderful job of understanding your school community and we want to open access and inclusion to your students.
Some tips that may help if you have reluctant readers:
- You can encourage teachers to introduce some of the Premier’s Reading Challenge books into class lessons and units of work to help build students' confidence.
- If you teach students in middle school, introduce different books from the challenge booklist as part of your planned units of work. Check which books in the school library are on the challenge booklist.
- Encourage students to explore aspects of visual literacy in picture books in pairs. Both students can include the book on their log.
- Pair tentative readers with one another for shared reading of challenge books.
- Make a list for reluctant readers such as ‘Hot reads for cool readers’.
- Choose accessible picture books or less demanding books, such as manga, graphic novels, humour, sport, factual texts and biographies.
- Allow the reading of shorter texts to build up the number and variety of texts.
- Use audiobooks for titles at a higher reading level that remains within the student’s comprehension ability.
- Use digital texts to allow access to accessibility features such as a dictionary function or a ‘read to me’ function.
Not all students are enthusiastic readers. This can be for any number of reasons and may include children:
- from a low literacy background
- from non-English speaking backgrounds
- with processing or sensory issues
- with a disability.
We want to remove as many barriers to students reading as possible. You do a wonderful job of understanding your school community and we want to open access and inclusion to your students.
Some tips that may help if you have reluctant readers:
- You can encourage teachers to introduce some of the Premier’s Reading Challenge books into class lessons and units of work to help build students' confidence.
- If you teach students in middle school, introduce different books from the challenge booklist as part of your planned units of work. Check which books in the school library are on the challenge booklist.
- Encourage students to explore aspects of visual literacy in picture books in pairs. Both students can include the book on their log.
- Pair tentative readers with one another for shared reading of challenge books.
- Make a list for reluctant readers such as ‘Hot reads for cool readers’.
- Choose accessible picture books or less demanding books, such as manga, graphic novels, humour, sport, factual texts and biographies.
- Allow the reading of shorter texts to build up the number and variety of texts.
- Use audiobooks for titles at a higher reading level that remains within the student’s comprehension ability.
- Use digital texts to allow access to accessibility features such as a dictionary function or a ‘read to me’ function.
The State Library of Western Australia has a wide and growing range of electronic resources available for use by members and visitors.
These include eBooks, online journals, audio books, eMagazines, current and historical newspapers and content services such as Ancestry and Kanopy. Resources for children and families include games, comics and movies.
Many of these are available from home and are free. To join, visit the State Library of WA.
You can also access electronic resources with your local Public Library membership.
The State Library of Western Australia has a wide and growing range of electronic resources available for use by members and visitors.
These include eBooks, online journals, audio books, eMagazines, current and historical newspapers and content services such as Ancestry and Kanopy. Resources for children and families include games, comics and movies.
Many of these are available from home and are free. To join, visit the State Library of WA.
You can also access electronic resources with your local Public Library membership.