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How to support early literacy with phonemic awareness

By Judith Barker

Issue 119, Term 4 2021

ic (writing) system and the different spelling patterns – in an enjoyable and meaningful way. This propelled me to further investigate the science of reading by studying the multiplicities involved in supporting phonemic awareness and teaching phonics to young readers and students with special needs

Dystopian literature: more than just the end of the world to teens

By Jessica Finden

Issue 123, Term 4 2022

n ‘the end of the world’  and as such, is a popular genre amongst teenagers. But despite its gloomy subject matter, high school students benefit from reading dystopian texts as this genre provides them the opportunity to face their fears about the future, while offering hope for what is to come. Thi

School Library Spotlight: Forest Hill College

By Helen Farch

Issue 117, Term 2 2021

in the school community? I like to believe that the library is central to the success of the school and its students. A library is a study space, a reading space, a social space and a safe place. But I also see that another important part of the library’s role in the school community is beyond t

Australian Children’s Laureate 2024–25: Sally Rippin

By Interview article by the Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS)

Issue 129, Term 2 2024

heme as Laureate is ‘All kids can be readers’. Can you share what this theme means to you? What I’ll bring to my term as Laureate is the idea that reading isn’t something we’re all born with the capacity to do. It’s a skill that needs to be taught. We have brains that are wired at birth to be a

Using the Medium blogging platform to teach critical and digital literacies in art

By Tania Sheko

Issue 110, Term 3 2019

list. Students would be able to read and respond to each other’s posts — in the form of ‘clapping’ or comments — resulting in the development of a reading/writing community. Images, videos and other media — particularly important in art teaching — could be easily embedded in the posts. Our bl

SCIS is more

By Anthony Shaw

Issue 126, Term 3 2023

rence. We invite you to delve into Megan's article in this edition of Connections, where she shares invaluable insights on her career and promoting reading and literacy amongst learners. We’re thrilled to announce that Oliver, Accessit and Athenaeum users can now import Authority Files to their

School library spotlight: The King's School Senior Library

By The King's School Library team

Issue 127, Term 4 2023

o is responsible for three libraries across the King’s Schools’ campuses. In the Senior School, the teacher librarians’ role involves teaching wide reading lessons and promoting a healthy school-wide reading culture; readers’ advisory; collaborative lessons covering literature, referencing, resear

Interview with Gabrielle Wang, Australian Children's Laureate

By Gabrielle Wang

Issue 122, Term 3 2022

ren exercising their imaginations. Do you have any advice for teachers who want to extend students’ imaginations in their classrooms? For teachers, reading aloud a class text is a fantastic thing, because even slow readers or children who have reading difficulties can enjoy the book as well. If it

1,000 reasons to support Australian book creators

By Jackie French

Issue 97, Term 2 2016

Dear Jackie French, What I have learned from your book is to be wary of anyone who tries to make you angry. Love James James was 14, and Hitler’s Daughter was the first book he had ever read. Yet he had found the truth behind a question I had been hunting for ever since I was ten years old: h

Supporting Australian book creators

By Aaron Blabey

Issue 108, Term 1 2019

When I began writing books professionally in 2006, I had never heard of the Australian Lending Right Schemes. My publisher just handed me a form, which I blithely filled out and promptly forgot all about. Then, after a hair-raising period filled with newborn children, an elephantine mortgage, and

Leading whole school literacy from the library

By Dr Margaret Merga

Issue 124, Term 1 2023

Literacy is a general capability to be taught across all learning areas in Australian schools. Students use literacy skills to learn and demonstrate their learning across the curriculum, and they need to learn both cross-disciplinary and discipline-specific literacy skills to achieve their academic

21st-century literacy with graphic novels

By Iurgi Urrutia

Issue 115, Term 4 2020

Reading is reading We read books, newspapers, magazines, billboards, signs, notices, bills, websites, blogs, social media posts et cetera. When we read all those things, consciously or unconsciously we’re developing and using multiple literacy skills. Thanks to the internet and social media, we’r

Exploring time and place through children's literature

By Tania McCartney

Issue 97, Term 2 2016

Books can enrich children’s lives beyond measure. Exposure to other people and cultures, whether directly or indirectly, does extraordinary things to children. It opens their heads and crams wonderful things inside. It relaxes their hearts, softens their emotional boundaries, and enriches their m

Digital fluency vs. digital literacy

By Clint Lalonde

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

Recently I’ve been doing a bit of research on digital literacy/digital fluency, to find out whether our post-secondary institutions are currently offering any programs and initiatives that will help instructors to use digital tools effectively. Many organisations have identified a lack of digital

The magic of school libraries

By Belinda Cameron

Issue 115, Term 4 2020

As we seek to establish and maintain vital connections with our students, staff, teachers and families, special events within our library spaces are central to the work of connected communities. Stories are central to the work of teacher librarians. The story of Harry Potter is so engaging that a

EAL/D in school libraries

By Nicki Moore, Martin Gray

Issue 121, Term 2 2022

At Singleton High School in New South Wales, Nikki Moore is an EAL/D teacher who is based in the school library. Situating Nikki in the school library has led to collaboration between the library staff and the EAL/D teacher, as well as the non-native English-speaking students who often use the libr

Language, literature and literacy during COVID-19 and beyond

By Annette Wagner

Issue 114, Term 3 2020

Over the last few months, learning has moved to the digital space, changing the perception of online learning tools. Annette Wagner, Creative Director of Story Box Library, discusses how teachers have embraced digital learning practices and online tools, including storytelling tools. During iso

TikTok and libraries: a powerful partnership

By Kelsey Bogan

Issue 115, Term 4 2020

‘Miss Bogan, you’re TikTok famous!’ These words greeted me early one morning shortly after I had finally caved in and created a TikTok account for our high school library. I had posted a TikTok video the previous night, you see, and in less than a day, it had more than 300,000 views! Within a wee

Genrefication 3.5 years later: Reflections

By Susan Davenport

Issue 117, Term 2 2021

Radford College Secondary Library (SL) for years 5–12 students began our genrefication journey in 2017. This article reflects upon those first steps and what changes have been implemented since. What have we learnt? Genrefication works! Yes, it really does. Our years 5–12 students find the

The Information Fluency Framework

By Carmel Grimmett

Issue 123, Term 4 2022

The Information Fluency Framework (IFF) is a new tool for teacher librarians in primary and secondary settings. The IFF is the primary source of information outcomes and processes for teacher librarians in the NSW Department of Education to use together with Information skills in the school as a