Students

Information for Challengers

What do I have to do to meet the Challenge?

There are several rules to meeting the Challenge. They differ depending on whether you are school age or in early childhood. For more information see the Rules page.

 

What do I get if I meet the Challenge?

If you meet the Challenge this year, the Premier of Victoria will send you a certificate of achievement. And of course, you get to read or experience good books!

 

How do I register?

School Students

Your school needs to register first, then register you. Schools have until the end of Term 1 to register. To find out if your school is registered, search the list of Schools participating in the Challenge.

If your school is not going to register, you can still participate as a home-based reader. To do this your parents/guardians need to complete consent forms - these are available online from the Information for parents & guardians section of this web site.

Children in Early Childhood

Babies and children in early childhood can participate too. They can be registered by a parent/caregiver or Early Childhood service.

  

What if I learn from home?

If you are a student who learns from home, rather than at a school you can still participate in the Challenge, as a home-based reader. Download, complete and send  in the registration form (Word - 51Kb) for the Reading Challenge Unit. Home-based reader registrations close on 28 June 2013. Students will not be able to register for the Challenge after this date.

 

What can I read?

Students

Most of the books you read should be from the Challenge book lists. These are called Challenge books. Up to one third (10 if you are in Prep to Year 2 and 5 if you are in Year 3 to 9) can be any book you choose. These are called Choice books. Year 10 students should read at least 5 books from the Book List and may read up to 10 Choice books.

Your Challenge books can come from the list for your year level or any level higher. You can also read Challenge books from a list below your year level if your teacher agrees. If the books you read are from a level other than yours, you still need to read the number of books for your year level to meet the Challenge.

Early Childhood

Parents/caregivers, educators and children can choose from the Challenge booklist or choose other appropriate books.

Note for Parents - The inclusion of a book on the list does not mean it is a recommended text for all students.  The book list provides a broad range of books from which students, parents and teachers can choose appropriate reading material for individual students.  If you have any concerns about the content of titles on the Challenge book lists we encourage you to become involved in the selection of books your child reads for the Challenge to ensure they are appropriate. 

You can download the Challenge book lists by going to the Books link on the homepage of the Challenge website.

   

My online record (School Students)

You keep all the information about the books that you read on this web site.

If you are a school student you need to register through your school. This will give you your own username and password. You can use them to log in to the web site from any computer with web access - at school, at home or in the library. Your username and password will allow you to open your own reading list where you can choose and record your books. You can also vote for your favourite book and give the books you read a star rating.

The 2013 student guide to the online system is available here (Word).

If you  are a young child you can be registered by either a parent or guardian or by your early childhood service.  The system will record whether you have read the required number of books to complete the challenge but will not record book details such as title and author.

   

My checklist

You might like to use a checklist to record your books and keep your place as you read your Challenge books. Checklists for 2013 are now available below.

Challenge checklist - Early Childhood (PDF - 449Kb)

Challenge checklist - Prep to Year 2 (PDF - 449Kb)

Challenge checklist - Year 3 to Year 10 (PDF - 180Kb)

Teachers can order bookmarks for children and young people participating in the challenge. Information is available from the Details of the process page.

 

Where can I get help?

Ask your teacher, librarian or school or service Reading Challenge Coordinator for help in choosing books, listing books, registering and logging on. Ask your friends about the books they are reading and tell them about the ones you have read. To find answers to other people's questions, check the Frequently Asked Questions.  

   

Book labels

If you want, you can download and print Book labels (PDF - 382Kb) to stick on all your books! Use Avery Labels L7165 or print on plain paper, cut and glue them. 

 

Can I do the MS Readathon as well as the Challenge?

You can count the books you read for the MS Readathon in the Challenge, and the books you read for the Challenge in the MS Readathon, so you can do both at the same time!. For more information visit the  MS Readathon website

Other information:

Have you read this?

cover of The Midnight Charter The Midnight Charter

by David Whitley

In the city of Agora, anything can be bought and sold. Even children are possessions until their twelfth birthday. Mark has been sold by his father, and Lily, an orphan from birth, has bartered for her life.

Thrown together by chance, in the ancient tower of Count Stelli, they face an existence of poverty and servitude, unless they can find a way to break free.

Why I love reading…

I like reading because it is lots of fun and it's interesting. I learn new words that I have never seen or heard before.

Erin (Year 2)