education.vic.gov.au Victorian Premiers Reading Challenge 2014 : Australia

Name of the Organisation : Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (education.vic.gov.au)
Type of Announcement : Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge 2014
Country : Australia

1.Rules for school and student Challengers :

The rules and the way the Challenge operates have not changed this year.

Students must register as a Challenger and keep a record of their reading on the Challenge website.

Students must be in a Year level from Prep to Year 10 in 2014. They can be learning at a school or learning at home.

Students must read a set number of books during the Challenge:
Year level Number of books Number from the Challenge book list
Prep – Year 2 30 books 20 or more
Year 3 – Year 9 15 books 10 or more
Year 10 15 books 5 or more

Students’ online books must be verified as read by a coordinator in at school.
All information must be completed online before 12 September 2014.*

* Please note: early childhood services can set their own timelines within the dates advertised on the Challenge website. Please check with your service.

Prep, Year 1 or Year 2 :
If children are in Prep, Year 1 or Year 2 they can read books by themselves or with someone else, for example, a parent, teacher, brother or sister, classmate, buddy or friend. This support is important if they are just learning to read.

2. Rules for Challengers below school age :

Each child must be registered as a Challenger and their parent or guardian must keep a record of their reading.

The child must be a young child who is not yet attending a school or is not of school age.
Between March and 12 September 2014* each child must read or have read with them 40 books. There are lots of suggestions for books on the Challenge book list.
Children can read books by themselves or with someone else, for example, a parent or guardian, carer, brother or sister, buddy or friend. This support is important if the child is just learning to read.
The child’s parent or guardian or the Challenge coordinator at the early childhood service must verify the child has read the correct number of books and update their online record to reflect this.
All information must be completed online before 12 September 2014.*

*Please note: early childhood services can set their own timelines within the dates advertised on the Challenge website. Please check with your service.

3. New in 2014 :

To celebrate the tenth year of the Challenge, we are introducing some fun new ways to inspire children and young people to read more books! Keep your eye on the website for updates:
Weekly video clips from popular sports stars, well-known authors and TV hosts
Paper Cuts competition for secondary students
Lachlan the Reading Dog; our lovable Challenge mascot
Monthly information and reading tips for parents
Facebook page for parents (coming soon)
A free countdown calendar in the Herald Sun on Tuesday 11 March
Great reads; the bumper booklist with even more exciting titles

4.Paper Cuts Competition 2014 :

Victoria’s first book trailer and book cover design competition for secondary schools. Create a book film trailer or design a book cover and be in the running to win an iPad and Penguin book prizes for you and your school.

The competition opens on April 28 and closes on July 31, 2014. Competition posters will be mailed to all Victorian secondary schools shortly. Watch this space for more details.

Meanwhile, check out the following websites for inspiration and how-to guides. You might even like to make the competition a whole class activity!

5. How does the Challenge work :

The 2014 Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge begins in February 2014 and officially ends on 12 September 2014. Students in Prep to Year 2 who accept the Challenge need to read or ‘experience’ 30 books during this period. Students in Years 3 to 10 who accept the Challenge must read 15 books during this period.

Three elements support students and schools participating in the Challenge: the rules, the book list and the online system for recording books.

Students must choose most of their books from the Challenge book list, and record their reading online as set out in the six rules for the Challenge. Teacher judgment in applying the rules and using the book list to meet individual students’ needs is an additional critical element that will ensure both the integrity of the program and that all students can participate, be challenged and succeed.

Postal address :
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
GPO Box 4367
MELBOURNE, Victoria 3001

Author : Muthukalee