Thanks to HealthCarePlus’s Grant for Good funding, the Manawatū Literacy Assocation has been able to transform reading engagement through an innovative competition called Book Battle.
When Belinda, a Resource Teacher of Literacy in the Horowhenua, heard about an innovative reading competition called Book Battle, she knew immediately it could make a difference in her community.
“When I heard about the Book Battle from another Literacy Association I knew it was something that could work in my region and decided to go for it,” she explains.
Working with students who face the greatest literacy challenges in primary schools, Belinda understands the critical importance of making reading engaging and accessible. As well as pursuing a Doctor of Education, Belinda has served on the Manawatū Literacy Association committee for five years.
Book Battle is essentially a quiz about books, originally started by two Auckland librarians. Students from Years 5-8 read a carefully curated list of books – mostly by New Zealand authors – then compete in a multiple-choice quiz format.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for able readers, as well as those who are not so enthusiastic readers, to explore new genres and build up a reading habit,” she says.
The timing couldn’t be more crucial. According to Belinda, reading for pleasure has been declining in New Zealand since the late primary years, yet “reading for pleasure is something that can support life satisfaction, mental health and even longevity,” she says.
When Belinda learned about Grants for Good through HealthCarePlus's newsletter, she saw an opportunity to expand her vision. Despite having applied for only one grant previously, she found the process refreshingly straightforward.
“It was easy to work on over time and come back to after saving my progress," says Belinda.
The funding proved transformative.
“It has helped immensely. It meant we were able to offer extra opportunities for students as part of the Book Battle, including other events in the lead-up to the event, books for schools, and other things that will allow the event to become sustainable in the future.”
The results speak for themselves. Many participating students are reluctant or inexperienced readers who may be reading complete books for the first time.
“Several teachers have told me that the Book Battle has encouraged students to read more and there has been an uptake in visits to school libraries,” Belinda reports.
Parents are noticing the difference too, enjoying seeing their children read more at home.
Belinda’s ultimate goal is to make Book Battle a staple of the literacy calendar for schools. She envisions yearly events across the region, giving reading the same priority traditionally reserved for sports.
“Projects of this kind, those that benefit our communities in more affective ways often need someone to champion them into fruition,” she says. “Grants for Good are wanting to support those champions.”
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