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Parents: Raising a Reader

Author Jackie French Shares Her Love of Books

This YouTube video about Jackie French was produced by Australian of the Year Awards in 2015.  In this video Jackie shares her love of books and how she wrote her first book at 6 years of age.  Jackie is dyslexic and yet has written over 150 books.  She is a passionate advocate for raising a reader and in this video says that "reading and stories are the most powerful things you can give to a child" (Jackie French, 2015).  You can find out more about Jackie French on her website.  To see all the books Jackie French has published visit here.

Why reading is so important (Articles & Weblinks)

How to keep older kids reading (and why it’s so important they do (Daley, 2025) - This article by Mums Lyfe lists different ways you can encourage older kids to keep reading and why it is so important to do so.

Jeff Kinney: ‘Let children read anything; I’ll never say no to a book’ (Ferguson, 2018) - This article in the Australian Edition of The Guardian encourages parents to let reluctant readers choose what they want to read. Audio books are also suggested to help reluctant readers engage with literature and know that reading is fun.

The Graphic Novel Is a Perfect Teachable Format: A bookseller makes the case for using graphic novels to help kids cope (Nicolas. 2019) - Publishers Weekly explains why graphic novels are the perfect teachable format.

Helping All Readers Blog Posts (Reading Rockets) - Many children need extra support to become skilled readers. Learn more about why some kids struggle, what effective interventions look like, how to create inclusive classrooms so every child can thrive, and much more.

20 Inspiring Quotes About Reading for Kids & Students! (Inspire My Kids). 

Read to my child

Read to my Child is a website aimed at children 0 to 5 years of age, however older children may still enjoy listening to some of the stories. It is the ideal place to go if you have just finished reading 5 books to your child and they are still demanding more! The website is easy to navigate and you can even make a request for a certain book to be read. You can watch the YouTube video below which has been produced by Read to my child. In this video Jasmine reads The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland, published by Scholastic Australia.

Scholastic Parents - Raising a Reader

Scholastic Parents blog provides tips and ideas on what parents can do to encourage their children to read. Don't forget to check out the links to resources, literacy games and book lists at the bottom of the page.

Story Time from Space - Literacy and STEM

Story Time From Space is a project of the Global Space Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education foundation. They send children’s books to the International Space Station. While in space, astronauts are filming themselves reading these books to the children of Earth. These videos are being edited and placed on this Story Time From Space website- look under the heading ” Story Time Videos”.
Written by: Mark Kelly| Read by: Scott Kelly | Run Time: 8:07 Minutes

Reading Rockets

Reading Rockets is a national public media literacy initiative offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.

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