The OECD states that 43.7% of Australians between the ages
of 15 and 74 have low level literacy skills that may make reading texts for everyday
information a challenge (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). With such low
literacy rates, it is important that we give children and young adults as much
exposure to reading and books as we possibly can. Involving them in other forms
of literature is also important. Attending author talks, listening to audio
books, reading to them and visiting the local library may also help foster a
love of reading and learning. With this in mind I took my three primary school
aged children to the Children’s Book Festival on Sunday 23rd March
2014. This free event run by the State Library of Victoria and The Wheeler
Centre was a memorable event (The Wheeler Centre, n.d.).
This annual event is devoted entirely to children’s books
and literature and the best part is that everything is free. We started the day
at the Polyglot Sticky Maze. A huge maze made out of masking tape allowing you
to stick bits of newspaper on the sticky walls. We listened to Ron Murray, a
Wamba Wamba elder from the Swan Hill area, telling an aboriginal Dreamtime
story about a snake who tries to eat a bird but doesn’t succeed. We
chatted to one of the most popular children’s authors, Andy Griffiths, while he
lounged in a beanbag watching the competition for the best dressed
character from a children’s book.
Inside the State Library of Victoria we helped write The Biggest Book Ever, created Lego poetry, and wrote stories using pictures taken from historical newspapers. My five year old loved watching the children’s theatre performances while my nine and eleven year olds preferred making their own books on old-fashioned typewriters. The highlight of the day was listening to Ursula Dubosarsky talk about her popular The Word Spy series (Ursula Dubosarsky, n.d.). She intrigued us with her play on words and we learned her secret language, Gibberish, and wrote postcards in morse code and rebus.
Inside the State Library of Victoria we helped write The Biggest Book Ever, created Lego poetry, and wrote stories using pictures taken from historical newspapers. My five year old loved watching the children’s theatre performances while my nine and eleven year olds preferred making their own books on old-fashioned typewriters. The highlight of the day was listening to Ursula Dubosarsky talk about her popular The Word Spy series (Ursula Dubosarsky, n.d.). She intrigued us with her play on words and we learned her secret language, Gibberish, and wrote postcards in morse code and rebus.
The best part about the day was that more than 13,000
readers attended the event this year (State Library of Victoria, 2014). The children attending were exposed to
new ideas and I hope they were inspired to go home and write more. There was
something for everyone and I would definitely recommend people go, even if they
don’t have children.
Image Attributes:
Polyglot Sticky Maze
https://www.flickr.com/photos/suavehouse113/6693414745/
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2013). 4228.0 - Programme
for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Australia, 2011-12.
Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4228.0Main+Features202011-12
The Wheeler Centre. (n.d.). Children’s Book Festival 2014.
Retrieved from http://wheelercentre.com/events/event/children-s-book-festival-2014/
State Library of Victoria. (2014). State Library of Victoria. Retrieved from http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/
State Library of Victoria. (2014). State Library of Victoria. Retrieved from http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/
Ursula Dubosarsky. (n.d.). Ursula Dubosarsky: Writer for
children and young adults. Retrieved from http://ursuladubosarsky.com/
Annual events, organised by professional organisations such as the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) or by the various State Libraries play an important role in promoting Library programs and in encouraging a love of books and reading. They provide a positive connection between the community and the Library. Increasing literacy skills for all Australian's is a challenge, but one that can be met through exposure to age-appropriate literature in public libraries. Regular children's programs such Lapsit, Toddlertime and Pre-school Storytime all support the development of language and literacy skills in young children (Kelly, 2012, p. 181).
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