Starting to Read

When I was five, I started school at Buchan Primary School. After one term, we moved to Kathmandu in Nepal. A year later, we moved to Pokhara and were there for two years before coming back to Australia.

I can remember being given Storm Boy by Colin Thiele to read. The teacher gave it to me because it was Australian and so was I. It had nothing to do with reading levels (at least not that I was told about), it was more about location.

To be honest, I can’t remember a lot about the book, and can vaguely remember watching the movie around that time, but I do remember reading the book and what the teacher told me about it.

This is my earliest memory of independent reading. I don’t recall ever having to choose books based on reading levels, although there is a comment on a school report when I was 7 or 8 saying that my reading level was very high for my age.

It may be the memory of Storm Boy that has shaped my view that kids will improve in their reading if they are able to read whatever books they want, especially books that reflect their interests.

Reading should be fun no matter what age you are. This is the quickest and easiest way to help kids improve their literacy as well as become readers for life.