Book an Adventure: Why Reading Matters (and How to Help Your Child Love It)
Book Week is almost here. ✨
Cue the cardboard swords, crooked crowns, and last-minute glue gun chaos.
It’s fun.
It’s frantic.
And underneath the excitement, it’s a reminder of what matters most: not the costume, but the story.
This year’s theme, Book an Adventure, isn’t just a slogan.
It’s a quiet invitation.
And for some children, it could be the moment reading finally starts to feel like theirs.
Why Reading Matters More Than Ever
Reading isn’t just one skill among many.
It’s the foundation.
And according to the Reading Guarantee report (2024), 1 in 3 Australian children can’t read well. That means in the average classroom of 24, eight students are struggling.
That number should stop us in our tracks.
When reading is hard, everything is harder: maths problems, science tasks, writing assignments, classroom confidence…
It ripples through every subject, every day.
But it doesn’t stop there.
The effects reach far beyond the classroom.
The OECD Skills Outlook (2013) links reading for pleasure to stronger literacy, higher earnings, better mental health and increased life satisfaction.
This isn’t feel-good messaging. The long-term impact is real.
And yet for many families, reading time doesn’t feel joyful at all. It feels like page-count negotiations and bedtime standoffs.
Not Every Child Feels Like a Reader
Book Week is meant to be a celebration.
But for some kids, it quietly highlights what’s hard.
We work with students every day who tell us things like:
❌ “I’m bad at reading.”
❌ “Books are boring.”
❌ “I hate this.”
By the time those words come out, the problem usually isn’t just phonics anymore.
It’s deeper than that.
It’s confidence.
These students don’t see themselves as readers. And that belief can be hard to shift.
Book Week has the potential to be more than just fun.
It can be a turning point, but only if it’s built around the story, not just the costume.
Every book holds a possible adventure.
The right one, at the right time, can open a door that felt locked.
Reading can be silly, serious, dramatic or quiet.
It can happen in a blanket fort, at bedtime, or sprawled on the kitchen floor.
When it feels safe, when it feels fun, kids lean in.
How to Help Your Child Fall in Love With Reading
What works for your family isn’t going to look the same as everyone else.
And that’s OK!
There’s no perfect routine, no magic book list.
The goal isn’t to get it “right.”
The goal is to help your child feel safe, supported and excited to read.
Here are some ideas we’ve seen work, not just in theory but in real homes with real kids.
⭐ Make it part of the rhythm
Some families read every night.
Others read over breakfast.
What matters most is consistency, not perfection.
A short daily story builds far more confidence than a once-a-week struggle.
⭐ Explore different formats
Graphic novels, audiobooks, joke books, Minecraft magazines… it all counts!
Lean in to what they love, and it stops being hard work.
The goal isn’t a level. It’s joy.
📌 A quick note on audiobooks:
They don’t teach reading skills, but they do help children discover a love of stories, especially if reading feels hard right now. Think of them as a doorway in, not the whole journey.
⭐ Celebrate the trying
Some children might sound out each word to themselves before saying it aloud.
That quiet persistence deserves more praise than any perfect pronunciation.
Praise effort. It tells your child: you’re becoming a reader and helps them develop a growth mindset.
⭐ Keep it playful
Act out scenes.
Try silly voices.
Build a reading nook out of pillows.
The emotional experience of reading matters more than the content.
⭐ Follow their interests
If your child wants to read the same book about dinosaurs for the 42nd time, let them.
Repetition builds fluency and comfort.
Familiar books feel safe, and that safety builds skill.
What If They’re Struggling?
Not every child will fall in love with reading straight away, and that’s OK.
But if they’re avoiding books, guessing every word, or losing focus after a few lines, those are signs.
And the longer we wait, the harder it becomes.
Support isn’t about “fixing” them.
It’s about meeting them where they are.
Gently.
With patience and a plan.
And with the right support, things start to change.
Not just in how children read, but in how they feel about reading.
Here’s what some of our families have shared:
“Our tutor made phonics fun for Charlie, everything was built around games, always tailored to what made him laugh and stay engaged. That playful approach made such a difference.
”
“Our daughter has loved the one-to-one time with her tutor. It’s given her confidence and, for the first time, the ability to actually enjoy phonics.”
“So happy our tutor is seeing progress. Now Haylee can read her writing back to herself the next day.”
Our tutoring isn’t one-size-fits-all.
It’s personal, gentle, and evidence-based. And it works, not just because of what we teach, but because we believe in the child behind the struggle.
🚀 This Book Week, Let the Adventure Begin
So don’t stress about the costume.
Start with the story.
Pick up a book you loved as a child.
Read something silly.
Visit the library.
Ask about their favourite character.
Laugh together over a book with bad jokes and worse drawings. 😂
And if something doesn’t feel right, if reading feels harder than it should, it might be time for some extra support.
At Attain Education, we work with families to build the skills and the confidence that make reading feel possible again. If that sounds like what your child needs, get in touch. We’ll talk through what support could look like and how to get started.
Reading really can be an adventure.
And every adventure is easier with the right guide.
Need help supporting your child on their reading journey?
We’d love to help.
Book your free consultation call today, and let’s talk about how we can support your child to dream big and take real steps toward success.