Schools right across the country have embraced the magic of books by participating in the National Book Week celebrations.
Book Week officially ran from August 17 to 23 this year; however, many schools and organisations chose to extend their celebrations beyond these dates to better fit into the school academic calendar and fully embrace the festivities.
At Wirrabirra Primary School in Gosnells, the Literacy Committee organised a week full of engaging activities, including a ‘Guess Who’ game where students identified characters from popular magic-themed stories each day.
Teachers also participated in the celebrations by discussing ‘Would You Rather’ and ‘Emoji Book Quiz’ prompts, which served as intriguing conversation starters and writing exercises for older students.
The school’s librarian added an interactive twist to the week with a ‘Guess the Staff Member’ display.
This feature included childhood photos of staff members alongside their favourite childhood books, creating a fun guessing game for students.
The school celebrations concluded with a cheerful whole-school Book Week assembly parade on Friday, featuring an array of creative costumes from both staff and students.
National Book Week serves as an important reminder of the value of reading in an age increasingly dominated by modern technology.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the proportion of children reading for pleasure in WA decreased from 79 per cent to 71 per cent between 2018 and 2022.
Additionally, 90 per cent of children are now engaged in screen-based activities, with 24 per cent spending 20 or more hours per week in front of a screen.
A research review conducted by Australia Reads last year found that children exposed to more storybooks early on tend to enjoy reading more and develop better reading skills as adults.
“Children who experience reading with a caregiver are more likely to read independently once their reading skills develop,” it stated.
Next year, the Children’s Book Council of Australia will celebrate the 80th anniversary of Children’s Book Week.
