Australian Children Catch the Bug: Motivating Young Children to Engage in Reading

Abstract

Two Australian educators, Deputy Principal Jan Burton, and Head of Curriculum Jayne Barnett, saw themselves as being in the 'business' of working with teachers to increase students' literacy outcomes. Despite an intensive three year whole school literacy renewal project which focused on classroom pedagogies for teaching reading, the 'market' was still unmotivated. With a budget of less that $AUS1000 (~$US771), Jan and Jayne developed a 'business plan' to motivate their student and parent community to engage with reading: a plague of red and black 'reading' bugs. The slogan was 'Catch the Reading Bug', the icon was ubiquitous and the gimmicks were endless. The program's outcomes helped Thornlands State Primary School to win the Australian 'National Literacy and Numeracy Week Excellence Award for Schools 2006' as well as a smaller NLNW celebration grant. This article recounts their successful program.