The Copyright Agency’s Reading Australia portal by March 2021 was presenting 224 freely-available resources to assist with the teaching of books by Australian writers. Originally launched in 2013 to showcase Australia’s rich literary heritage and encourage more people to read Australian literature, Reading Australia has become a valuable asset for teachers looking to introduce homegrown titles into the classroom.
By March 2021, the number of subscribers reached 21,000 – 85% of whom are teachers, librarians and teacher librarians.
“Australian stories – in their diversity and vitality – reveal who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going,” says Copyright Agency CEO Adam Suckling. There are now 90 primary and 134 secondary resources, spanning Foundation to Year 12 and linking closely to the Australian curriculum and cross-curriculum priorities.
“English teachers, their schools and their curriculum authorities have become far more aware and responsive to the Australian literature landscape and are increasingly including more Australian texts into their reading and study programs,” says Phil Page from the Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE). “We are now seeing more inclusive local and state-based curricula and a broadening of the content of prescribed or recommended text lists.”
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