I have found joy in books ever since I can remember. As a child, when my mother did the grocery shopping at Butts Supermarket in Maroochydore (this was at least a decade before the Plaza was built) I would “wait” in the adjacent newsagent and read a book until she was finished. Some Saturdays I would visit the newsagent to continue reading a captivating book - even when mum wasn’t shopping! To this day, I am surprised I was never asked to buy the book or kicked out of the shop.

My love of reading means I have always enjoyed Book Week and this week St Andrew’s students and staff have celebrated the 2024 Book Week theme, “Read, Grow and Inspire” with significant enthusiasm and unbridled participation. Monday commenced with the excitement of costumes and book characters, and once again I was astounded by the thought and creative effort evident in so many of the costumes. The week continued with various book-related activities and learning opportunities for both Primary and Secondary students and I extend a very big THANK YOU to our Teacher Librarians, Peter Carnavas and Caroline Gordon-Johnson, and their teams for their creative endeavour and boundless energy in promoting and celebrating reading and books - not just in Book Week but EVERY week.

Books provide access to knowledge, pleasure and inspiration. The benefits of reading are widely accepted and range from improved cognitive skills to higher levels of academic performance. Most importantly, a love of reading will enrich your child’s life in the present and into the future and the following strategies may help you in encouraging and supporting reading for pleasure:

• Read aloud to your child (often) even when they are able to read themselves.
  Snuggling up and sharing a story is an experience that benefits your child in many ways. The fun of listening to books being read aloud and becoming absorbed into great stories is an important motivator for children to become independent readers.
• Help your child find the books and stories they enjoy.
  Whatever book genre inspires a life-long love of reading is perfect. For our early primary years students who are becoming independent silent readers, help them satisfy their curiosity and nurture their sense of discovery by exploring different types of books.
• Make reading a part of your family’s everyday life.
  Model the habit of reading. Ask your child about what they are reading. Have books available at home and join the local library. Regular reading will help build the cognitive stamina needed for sustained attention to completing complex tasks.

Getting lost in books and stories is an enjoyable and powerful experience. For me, I no longer visit the bookstore to read a latest release, but my children have realised that when I respond to a query with “hang on, I’m almost at the end of my chapter” if they are not present at the precise minute I reach the chapter end, they will need to wait until the end of the next one!