Chief Minister's Reading Challenge

Got reading kids and live in Canberra? Is your school joining the challenge?

I’ve been in the fortunate position over the last few years to be involved in the management of the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge through my work at the ACT Education Directorate. I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of Canberra’s exceedingly talented authors (squeeeee!!), work alongside amazingly generous sponsors, see thousands of children rise to the challenge of reading 15 books between February and September every year, and work with some extremely dedicated people (usually ever-committed librarians) who drive the Challenge in their schools. 

I have to say, one of the best parts of the job is the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge Awards Ceremony, held at the conclusion of the Challenge. Seeing the smiling faces of hundreds of avid little and not-so-little readers is just the best. I love this Challenge because it encourages children to read and provides a great opportunity for schools to celebrate their successes together at the conclusion of the Challenge. The encouragement and celebration of reading is so important to our community and children's future.

The Challenge is open to all ACT schools and is for students in Preschool to Year 8. Schools register online (students don’t register individually) and there is no prescribed book list. If you have school age children and your school isn’t registered for the Challenge this year there is still a little time! Ask your school about their involvement and encourage them to register here before 31 March 2018.

By the way, its also a really good chance for you to talk to your child about reading, listen to them read and model what readers do (i.e READ!!) to help foster their love of reading into the future. You might even want to do the Challenge with them. I know I will be! 

Good luck and happy reading!

​Lisa xx