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Library and Reading
At De La Salle we don’t ask for books to be returned to the library before the holidays. They will only gather dust there. It is better that your son borrows twice as many books as usual as there is finally time to read.
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You may have seen a recent article in The Age about encouraging Year 9 boys to read. I agree with all the sentiments of the article but my main message to you as parents is to:
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- Provide things they WANT to read
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- eBooks and eAudio books are fine
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This is what we endeavor to do at De La Salle. Parents will be pleased to hear that your sons read all sorts of things, currently our hottest books are biographies of soccer and basketball players and graphic novels. This is a good thing as it means that they are exploring our collections to find the books that they like.
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Modeling is very important. We are all becoming streaming junkies. When was the last time you read in front of your son? See if you can do this on the holidays. Talk about what you are reading. Make time to read. Trust me, you will enjoy it too as a great way to wind down.
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I have been talking to Year 7 and Year 8 students about their reading habits. This is starting to wane by the end of Year 7 with some students only reading in English and in Reading class. I encourage students to read three times a week. It may be when homework is finished or before bed, but a habit is only formed if it is a regular thing.
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Don’t forget our eBook collection. It has over 1,500 titles, mainly current Australian books pitched at Year 5 to Year 10 students. It can be accessed via Ollie or on the Wheelers ePlatform app on your phone or device. This way your son always has access to books and if you are travelling you only need to pack the device.
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Finally, make sure that your son has read the English book for next year to get ahead. There are eAudio versions of all books studied on the library page. You might like to listen along.
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