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#AustraliaReadsAtHome

Now that we’re staying in more, it’s a good time to get reading.

Books – in whatever shape, size, or form – are a great way to unwind, learn new things, discover new stories, and feel all kinds of emotions. Whether you’re reading fiction or non-fiction, periodicals or poetry, journals or joke-books, memoir or magical fantasies… your body, heart and brain all know you’re on to something special. That’s why Australia Reads is encouraging everyone to read a little bit more. (Or even a lot more!)

Tell us what you’re reading at home to bring you comfort, inspire and entertain you @australiareads

Educate

Entertain

Inform

Inspire

Enjoy

Reading is enjoyable and relaxing.

Books can be an escape from the worries of everyday life [1]. Reading also reduces stress by 68% – it works quicker than listening to music, playing a videogame or a walk. [2]

Learn

Books help you learn and explore.

Reading makes your world bigger and makes more things possible. Literacy and reading are tools that can help you achieve your goals [3] and help others. So, being able to read can improve your life and the lives of the people around you.

Grow

Reading helps your mind grow. It helps connect different parts of your brain. After reading a book, your brain activity is boosted for days [4]. It’s exercise and nourishment for your mind – good for your health now and down the track! [5]

Connect

Books create meaning and connect us to others. By reading other people’s stories you can walk in their shoes. And in doing so, learn more about yourself, too [6]. Books build empathy, connection and help you feel less lonely [7]. Plus, sharing books, doing bookish activities, and reading together is a great way to stay connected to the people in your life – and meet new people too!

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Want to find out more? We’d love to hear your stories about the way reading helps you enjoy, learn, grow and connect.

Follow the hashtag #AustraliaReads, take the pledge, and follow us on social media!

#AustraliaReadsAtHome is a joint industry initiative.

Australian Library Information Association

Footnotes:

  1. The impact of reading for pleasure and empowerment, The Reading Agency, 2015 
  2. 2016 Study by University of Sussex shows reading can reduce stress by 68% 
  3. ‘Literacy Changes Lives: An advocacy resource’ George Dugdale and Christina Clark, National Literacy Trust, September 2008 
  4. Brain function boosted for days after reading a novel, Tomas Jivanda, Sunday 29 December 2013 
  5. Does Being a Bookworm Boost Your Brainpower in Old Age? 
  6. Fiction: Simulation of Social Worlds in Trends in Cognitive Sciences Volume 20, ISSUE 8, P618-628, Keith Oatley, August 01, 2016
    Also reported in SBS
    Study finds reading fiction develops empathy, Shami Sivasubramanian, 28 Jul 2016
  7. Reading can help halt loneliness epidemic, says new report, DEMOS, Josh Tapper, 02 November 2018

 

 

Resources:

https://www.publishers.asn.au/news/reading-is-good-for-you

  • Literacy and reading for pleasure play a significant role in a person’s happiness and success 
  • Reading for pleasure is important for personal development and awareness and educational aspirations and success
  • Reading for pleasure improves lives
  • Reading and literacy is good for your health
  • Children who grow up in poverty have lower literacy, education and health levels parents’ involvement in their child’s education is crucial
  • Increasing literacy and numeracy skills have a positive and significant effect on jobs and wages
  • Investing in Upskilling: Increased literacy skills will create a healthier, wealthier, more engaged and more equitable society
  • Reading and literacy can help children escape poverty
  • Literacy is a key part of any crime prevention strategy
  • Getting children reading is a job for us all
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Are you ready for Australian Reading Hour 2021?
Ok, take a deep breath, and repeat after us.

“I will read or listen to an Australian book, whether written or drawn or illustrated or spoken aloud, wherever I may be, in city or bush, in the bath, in bed or up a tree, for one hour on Tuesday 14 September 2021. I will read silently or aloud, I will read by myself or in a crowd. I will read a story that matters to me.”

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