Learning to read is an exciting, eye-opening and essential part of every child’s development; and as they move through school and life, literacy is a skill that helps youngsters to understand the world, reach their academic potential, make social and emotional connections, and entertain themselves along the way.
In the 21st Century, picture books, chapter books, text books and other printed materials all have a big place in children’s hearts and minds, and it’s also important that youngsters learn how to understand and connect with non-printed text, whether they’re reading an e-book or exploring a website.
ABC Reading Eggs is a great example of how digital literacy can be taught in a fun and effective way, and this month, the online learning program is providing families with a chance to give the gift of literacy to our own children – and to those living in poverty.
ABC Reading Eggs’ inaugural Read, Learn, Empower fundraising campaign is on until 30 September, so let’s see what it aims to achieve and how you can get involved.
What’s the background to the Read, Learn, Empower campaign?
Although we live in a first world country, there is a literacy divide in Australia. This means that while some children are naturally keen readers and others are reluctant, there are many youngsters who simply don’t have access to reading opportunities because of their socio-economic background.
A staggering 1.2 million young Australians are living in poverty today (according to the ACOSS/UNSW Poverty Overview Report 2020) and Wendy Field from The Smith Family says that, “Through no fault of their own, children growing up in poverty start school behind in basic reading and numeracy skills, and without the right support they often stay behind.’
The good news is that disadvantaged children can be supported to improve their reading. Parents, carers and educators all play a role in motivating children and building their reading skills, and The Smith Family’s Learning for Life education program is one way that it helps disadvantaged children to succeed at school and create a brighter future for themselves.
The Learning for Life program puts money towards books and uniforms, it provides individualised learning programs before and after school, and its mentors help children get to school, continue their education, and pursue career opportunities later on.
With all this in mind, ABC Reading Eggs has launched its first Read, Learn, Empower fundraising campaign to help The Smith Family bridge the literacy divide and support disadvantaged children to succeed at school.
ABC Reading Eggs is hoping to raise $15,000 and give 1,000 home learning programs to The Smith Family by 30 September, and to do this, it needs a little help from Australian families.
How can your family get involved?
To support this worthwhile cause, all you’ve got to do is sign up to the ABC Reading Eggs online learning platform, which is designed for children aged two to 13.
You’ll get 30 days of free access to this multi-award winning reading program, and as an added bonus, ABC Reading Eggs will donate $1 to The Smith Family for every new sign-up they get – up to that $15,000 figure.
And if you’re already an ABC Reading Eggs customer, then you’ve got a chance to get a bit creative! A 12-month subscription to ABC Reading Eggs will be given to The Smith Family when you upload a video of your child enjoying their Reading Eggs program, and if 1,000 of us upload a video, then 1,000 annual subscriptions will go to a good place.
There are some excellent prizes for the most fun and inspiring videos (including a 32GB iPad), and to be in the running, make sure you upload your child’s video to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the tags #ReadLearnEmpower, @ReadingEggs and the country you’re from.
What else is ABC Reading Eggs offering?
Homeschooling has taught us a lot about the value of online learning materials, and ABC Reading Eggs offers a whole suite of free printable resources to promote your child’s literacy.
There are printables for all primary school ages, and whether your kindy kid is learning phonics or your Year Sixer is grappling with grammar, these educator-designed materials make home learning fun for everyone.
At the end of the day, literacy is a crucial skill for all children, and Read, Learn, Empower is an egg-cellent campaign. We hope you can jump online to support a good cause and open up a new chapter in your child’s – and every child’s – reading.
