Warriapendi Primary reading program scores 8 out of 10

Warriapendi Primary School students participate in a program where they read and exchange books to earn a certificate and toys as a reward.

Students who reach milestones for the number of nights they read to their parents were recognised at school assemblies.

Deputy principal Natasha Doyle said the program aimed at improving students’ reading abilities.

“When we first started it, we found that children were not reading at home and teachers were reluctant to give them books because they would lose their books,” Ms Doyle said.

“When I started here, we decided that we would buy books and it would not matter if they have not come back because we would just replace them each year.”

Ms Doyle said the program started three years ago by educational assistants was taken over by parents.

“The educational assistants do not do it any more, so the mums volunteer and they come in every morning.

“The children go to them and they exchange their reading log,” she said.

“We initially had half of the school reading on a regular basis and now I would say we have about 80 per cent of children reading every night.

“A lot of our children do not have literature in their home, so it is a way of getting good reading material in their homes for them.”