An annual premier's reading challenge in South Australia gets students to enjoy more books, improve literacy

For the Premier's Reading Challenge, South Australian school students filled out a form (inset) with a verified list of the 12 books that they had read during the year.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge was introduced by the South Australian government premier in 2004 to encourage students to enjoy reading more books and improve literacy levels.

The challenge required students to read 12 books between the start of the school year and early September –  between the first week of Term 1 and the seventh week of Term 3. Students filled out a reading record form listing the title and author for each book with a parent, caregiver, teacher or librarian signing off on each book to verify it had been read.

Eligible books for the challenge included e-books, audio books, class/shared reading, prescribed books for school, non-fiction books, books read as research for assignments or books in another language. Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist also provided a choice from more than 8,000 titles.

Reception to Year 6 students had to read eight books from the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist and four personal choices; years 7 to 9 students four books from the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist and eight personal choices; and years 10 to 12 students 12 personal choice books.

Reading challenge ambassadors were available for school visits where they answered questions and shared their reading experiences. A Premier’s Reading Challenge reception 2021 was staged later in the year when selected schools sent one student representative who accepted a parcel of books and a framed certificate to recognise their school’s exceptional participation in the challenge.