Natasha Fyles launches second Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

Natasha Fyles has launched the second Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge from Alice Springs. Read what it’s hoped to achieve.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has launched the 2023 Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge, with hopes it will boost literacy rates across the Territory.

Speaking from Sadadeen Primary School in Alice Springs, Ms Fyles said the challenge, now in its second year, would be available to all Northern Territory students from Transition to Year 6.

“This reading challenge encourages students to read and view stories in local languages, enabling bilingual schools and very remote schools to participate fully in healthy competition and rivalry between classes and other schools.

“The Alice Springs Town Council has been getting extra books aimed at our children into the town library ahead of the reading challenge.

Ms Fyles said more than 4200 students in the Northern Territory completed the challenge of reading 12 books in 2022.

“Parents don’t have to buy the books they can pick them up from the school or the public library.”

Ms Fyles said the challenge was launched in 2022 to encourage students to read more books for pleasure.

It will begin on Friday, March 10, 2023 ending at the close of Book Week on Friday, August 25, 2023.

Last year, 4227 students completed the task of reading 12 books in 24 weeks, with 69 schools involved.

Education Minister Eva Lawler said reading helped children’s developments in many ways.

“Reading and storytelling helps children learn about sounds, words and language, stimulates imagination, develops social skills and helps children learn about the world.”