According to the results of this year’s Big Summer Read junior reading program, Wyndham is home to an increasing number of book worms.
Out of 60 library services across Victoria, Wyndham libraries had the sixth highest number of registrations, with 798 children participating between December 1 and January 31.
In total, 9013 books were read and 978 book reviews were submitted by Wyndham participants in the statewide reading program which aims to increase library loans, engage young people in reading for pleasure and support literacy development.
The Big Summer Read program was developed as a way of counteracting a phenomenon known as the ‘summer slide’, which refers to the loss of literacy skills over the summer holidays when children do not read.
It’s estimated that on average the summer slide costs the equivalent of two to three months of reading proficiency. Loss of reading proficiency is most acute in children from economically disadvantaged communities and the decline in learning gains was made worse by successive COVID lockdowns.
Efforts to improve child literacy in Wyndham were recently given a boost when one of the municipality’s largest libraries returned to its permanent home.
Hoppers Crossing library reopened at Pacific Werribee at the beginning of March after rectification works at the shopping centre forced it out in the middle of last year.
After spending the second half of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 at a temporary premises, the library closed for two weeks from February 12 while it moved back into its usual location.
The reopened library features a dedicated kids area with resources such as children’s ipads, allowing youngsters to improve their literacy while scrolling on a screen rather than turning a page.
