We all know that reading is good for children and for adults, and that we should all be reading more often. One of the most obvious benefits of reading is that it helps improve language skills. A major review of research on leisure reading confirmed that reading does indeed foster better verbal abilities, from preschoolers all the […] … learn more→

Learning to read begins long before the day when the child tries, for the first time, to decode the words in a book. In the first weeks of life, and even before they are born, babies are already skillfully processing crucial information about the sounds that reach them. They adjust their reactions to the tones and structures of […] … learn more→

Reading is key to developing your understandings of what makes good academic writing. Anthropologist Ruth Behar (2020) suggests that academic writers shouldn’t stop at the classic texts in their discipline, but also read other genres. She says We need to read poetry to understand silences and pauses. To challenge the oppression of punctuation. To learn how to make […] … learn more→

When you begin the PhD you will be told to read, and read a lot. But you’ll find not any old approach to reading will do. It’s a particular kind of reading that’s expected. So it’s important to get a grip on the complex task that you are being asked to do. In the first […] … learn more→

Tomi Ungerer’s Giant of Zéralda has become what we call a classic for young people. Criticized by adults, when it was published in 1971 in L’École des loisirs because it challenged the codes and laws of illustrated storytelling for children, this album was immediately adopted by young audiences whose pleasure can never be denied. since. Excellent sesame to enter the […] … learn more→

Neuroscience has established a clear link between music and language acquisition. To put it simply, learning music in the early years of school can help children lay the foundations of reading. In the brain, neural networks involved in processing musical information and developing language overlap. From an evolutionary point of view, the processing of music developed in […] … learn more→

Canadian media have reported on concerns that due to pandemic school closures students are falling behind in learning, and specifically in reading. Research from Alberta examined reading test scores from this past September against earlier years and found grades 2 and 3 students scored consistently lower. Teachers have fewer opportunities to work individually with children who are struggling in online settings. In […] … learn more→

A love for reading can be hugely valuable for children. The benefits of leisure reading include increased general knowledge, a positive impact on academic achievement, enhanced reading ability and vocabulary growth. Indeed, research suggests that time spent reading for pleasure could be a key indicator for the future success of a child – even more important than their family’s socio-economic status. It […] … learn more→

2020 has been a particularly tough year for those approaching the latter years of high school. Young people have witnessed large-scale economic insecurity and unstable education systems. Teenagers have reported high levels of stress and anxiety. But they have also demonstrated outstanding resilience and resolve in adapting to the “new normal”. During COVID-19, cultural texts have become more important […] … learn more→

As this tumultuous year comes to a close, the Australian summer is an ideal time to relax and escape through reading. Like many people, Australian teenagers have experienced higher rates of psychological distress this year as a result of the COVID pandemic. Reading is one way for teens to remove themselves, if only temporarily, from their current […] … learn more→