Some ideas to get you started

These are some ideas that schools used as a springboard to classroom activities for National Reading Day. You are welcome to use them for your own classroom teaching.

  • Create a website that showcases the texts they have read for their research assignment e.g.loggerhead turtles, starfish, bushrangers, national parks or gold.
  • Publish the websearch links that your class made on its most recent GoogleEarth Literary trip to explore the setting of various texts, e.g. Macbeth, Streetcar Named Desire, The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky or Daughter of the Regiment by Jackie French .
  • Create and display at your local shopping mall, a tourist map of Australia that charts the journey undertaken by characters in Possum Magic by Mem Fox.
  • Design posters encouraging conservation and preservation of our flora and fauna in response to reading texts such as Miss Lily’s Pink Feather Boa by Margaret Wild , The Story of Rosie Dock by Jeannie Baker or Chelonia Green Champion of turtles by Christobel Mattingley.
  • Create advertisements using podcasts, posters or another medium to promote an approach to eliminate bullying in response to I Am Jack or Super Jack by Suzanne Gervay, or Buzzard Breath and Brains by James Moloney.
  • Create PhotoStory presentations in response to reading TruckDogs by Graeme Base, A Roomful of Magic by John Marsden or The Window by Jeannie Baker.
  • Make a podcast of students interviewing their parents about their best remembered childhood reading material. Follow up with the opinions of contemporary student readers
  • Create a wiki that records the favourite book title of everyone in the classroom.
  • Make a classroom display of the best pages from everyone’s favourite graphic novels. Let your students be tour guides for other classes or guest buddies from other schools.
  • Hold an online discussion with another class about ways to conquer challenging texts.
  • Invite other classes, teachers and parents to join group discussions led by your students about their favourite books.

Explore many more activities available on the website or create your own.

You are still welcome to use the activities from 2007 as well: In 2007, the National Reading Day activities were designed around a number of quality children's books. You are also welcome to use these as part of your 2008 celebrations! Simply click on the link.2007 National Reading Day Activities

Activities will be suggested for three categories:

  • early primary students
  • middle primary students and
  • upper primary/junior secondary school students.

The activities are being developed by the Australian Literacy Educators' Association and the Australian Association for the Teaching of English and are designed to promote reading and to build your students’ reading and literacy skills.