Indigenous Reading Project

The Indigenous Reading Project is for selected Indigenous students who receive a Kindle with uploaded books of their interest and reading level. Every week during lunch times (usually on a Monday or Tuesday) the three students selected show me their reading log book and I record how their reading fluency and time is improving. If the students are motivated, continue reading their books and show an increase in their reading, by the end of the three months they get to keep the Kindle.

 

A fantastic program which the students (Akelah Colvin Yr7, Tiarna Pearce Yr 8 and Jack Taylor Yr 9), are really excited about.

 

Our project aims to improve the reading achievement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We target kids who are behind their peers and want to improve their reading skills. We loan them a Kindle e-reader. We monitor their progress over time and if they significantly improve their reading ability they get to keep the Kindle.

 

How does it work?

We work with teachers to identify kids that have potential to successfully adopt e-reader technology.We loan e-readers to Indigenous students. We also show them how to access books that are interesting to them. We provide positive incentives to encourage them to read more.

We measure the reading behaviour and reading achievement of students before they enter the program and again after 3 months. If the evidence shows that the student has made good progress then the e-reader is gifted to them as a reward for their effort. 

 

Why e-Readers?

An e-reader is an electronic device that is used for reading digital books (e-books). E-reader technology has changed radically over the last 12 months. The quality has improved and prices have come down to the point where an e-reader is cheaper than an Ipod. There is now an amazing range of easily accessible, low-cost e-books available. This means that kids who come from low-income families, or who live remotely can have access to a greater range of books. 

E-readers are revolutionary. They give people extraordinary access to quality books. There are over three million free e-books available for download in the public domain and popular titles can be purchased as e-books at a fraction of the cost of regular books. E-books are always available. They can be accessed 24/7 and they download immediately.

E-readers consume very little power, allowing continuous reading for weeks. E-readers are small and light and highly portable. E-readers can hold thousands of e-books so storage is never a problem. E-books are good for the planet because they don't consume paper and ink.