Turning the page_Addressing declining literacy rates through joy, community and access

Turning the page: Addressing declining literacy rates through joy, community and access Dr Caroline Graham

and Dr Oscar Davis

“Education plays a vital role in promoting the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and aesthetic development and wellbeing of young Australians.” - The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration (Council of Australian Governments Education Council 2019, p. 3) The challenge: Declining literacy and reading rates In the Australian education context, the data around literacy rates paints a concerning picture. The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration set out an ambitious commitment to improving educational outcomes around literacy in 2019; however, the first report on the nation’s performance against its goals (Lamb et al., 2020) found that by Year Seven, nearly 25% of students had fallen below expect ed literacy levels, with 27.8% of senior students not meeting international reading standards. Between 2000 and 2018, reading literacy performance in Australia declined by 26 percentage points (Thomson et al., 2019), with 41% of students failing to achieve reading proficiency. Although the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2018a and 2018b) recognises reading enjoyment as a key component of its approach to English education, reading education has historically focused on developing students’ reading ‘skills’, such as phonics, standard ised literacy tests and evaluation (Campbell, 2023; Nailer et al., 2023; Merga & Gardiner, 2018 ). For example, Queensland’s 2023 implementation of a Reading Commitment rests on a rigorous literature review supporting explicit, evidence informed practices around teaching reading (Department of Education, 2023). However, there are concerns that this a pproach represents only part of what is required to offer children the gift of lifelong literacy practices – and all the benefits that come with being an enthusiastic reader. Research is increasingly pointing toward the limitations of adopting solely skill -focused pedagogies for reading, with experts calling for ways to “balance the two sides of reading: teaching the ‘skills’ of reading while simultaneously fostering children’s ‘will’ to read” (Mottram et al. 2023, p.56). While schools assume responsibility for teaching students the mechanics of reading throughout a student’s schooling, the prioritising of reading for pleasure often drops away (Nailer et al., 2023; Cremin, 2023). Research suggests this leads to an “orphaned responsibility” (Merga and Ledger 2018), where students are taught how to read, but the responsibility of how and when to read for pleasure is put onto them (Cremin, 2023). Some scholars also claim that an entirely skills -based approach to reading can rob the activity of its ma gic, suggesting “children hold predominately negative perspectives of ‘reading’ due to its assumed connection to schooling and academic achievement” (Nailer et al. 2023, p.1498) and expressing concern that “children will Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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lose their love of reading” (Campbell 2023, p.13). Indeed, there has been an international decline in young people choosing to read for enjoyment (Cremin & Scholes 2024, p. 538). According to the Organisation for Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD), “students’ enjoyment of reading has significantly decreased between 2009 and 2018 in one -third of the countries/economies – including at the OECD average ” (OECD 2021, p.120). A similar decline has been shown in Australia (Reddan, 2023; Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023), where the rate of children reading for pleasure dropped from 78.5% to 72.4% in the four years to 2022, with Queensland reporting the nation’s lowest rate. Broadly, this decline is sometimes classified as a kind of aliteracy , “whereby independent reading skill has been achieved, but reading will has not been fostered” (Nathanson, Pruslow & Levitt 2008, p. 209). Cremin (2022, p. 1) suggests that although the importance of skills -based approaches to reading cannot be understated, it is the will to read that can be truly transformative: “While both are fundamental, as the OECD and countless research studies show, it is choosing to read – reading for pleasure – that makes the difference. Being a frequent reader impacts on children’s academic outcomes, which in turn leads to better employme nt and economic prospects (OECD, 2010). In addition, being a reader has the potential to enhance children’s social and emotional well -being, broaden their understanding of the world and enrich their imaginations. Reading changes lives and is therefore an i ssue of equality and social justice.” It is in this gap the Somerset Storyfest does its vital work. We support teachers and educational leaders in literacy education by fostering the will to read through transformative festival experiences that emphasise the joy of reading, making reading accessible to all children and young people, and generating communities of readers. A strong condition of engagement with reading in a young person is developing an identity or sense of self as a reader (Mukherjee et al. 2023; Hall 2012). As such, we take an evidence -based approach to three overlapping factors of building a young person’s reader identity: reading for pleasure, reducing barriers to reading and buil ding a reading community. As Möllers (2006, p. 43 -44) asserts, reading is not only a competency; it is deeply connected to literary education and the enjoyment of reading. She suggests: “The expected side effects of literacy … only come into play when children have learnt the essential thing s: the joy of the text and enthusiasm for reading. Only people who have learnt to love reading and who have themselves experienced the pleasures of reading will go on to seek books out, in addition to their use of 'new media'.” She goes on to underscore th e transformative role a literature festival can play in a child’s —or indeed an adult’s —journey as a reader. “A literature festival can fan the sparks into flames and allow encounters with literature to develop into a lasting experience. When all the partic ipants - authors and illustrators, programmers and festival team, librarians and Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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teachers, moderators, actors and interpreters, partners and publishers - share an enthusiasm for literature they can scatter it out into the world. It's about creating moving moments together, which are etched for ever in the memory and leave traces on the soul” (p. 44). The right to love books: The many benefits of reading for pleasure “… being a reader in childhood can play a role in reducing educational inequalities. It is not only every child’s right, but a matter of social justice that each child is enabled and supported to become a keen and motivated reader.” (Cremin & Scholes, 2024 , p. 538) There is a gulf between the act of reading for obligation or function and a student who seeks out books for their own enjoyment. A large and growing body of research explores the benefits of young people reading for pleasure (RfP), also referred to as ‘reading for enjoyment’, ‘the habit of reading’, ‘volitional reading’, ‘voluntary reading’, ‘leisure reading’, ‘engaged reading’, ‘independent reading’, ‘the desire to read’ and ‘recreational reading’. RfP is the “purposeful choice -led reading undertaken for each individual’s personal satisfaction, often in their own time” (Cremin 2023, p.2). The benefits of RfP are diverse and cross over educational, behavioural, emotional and social fields. Importantly, R fP can cause a positive feedback loop, where it builds a student’s intrinsic desire to read, which in turn further encourages the student to engage with RfP (Nailer et al. 2023; Mottram et al. 2023; Hebbecker et al. 2019). Educational benefits of reading for pleasure Inviting children into the joy of reading may well be one of the most important things we can do for their education. The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development reports that students who read for pleasure every day scored “the equivalent of o ne-and -a-half years of school better than those who do not” (OECD, 2011, p. 2). As little as fifteen minutes of reading per school day can have significant impacts on academic success (Lawrence et al., 2021). The relationships between RfP and educational achievement is sometimes described as the Matthew Effect (Stanovich, 1986), because enjoyment of reading is a gateway to a range of literacy achievements. RfP can improve students’ inference processes and use of complex strategies (Schiefele et al. 2012), spelling skills (Mol and Bus 2011), mental imagery (Mol and Jolles 2014), and comprehension, grammar and vocabulary development (Nailer et al. 2023; Torppa et al. 2020; Merga 2017), acting as a “bridging function” to more challenging texts (Cremin & Scholes 2024, p.541). There is a correlation between RfP and students becoming lifelong, highly literate readers (Farrar and Simpson 2024; Dool and Simpson 2021), as well as a stro ng connection between reading motivation, enjoyment, engagement and enhanced reading ability (Dool and Simpson 2021). The reverse appears also evident, where students who don’t Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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engage in RfP are more likely to receive relatively lower grades than those who do engage with RfP (Mol and Jolles 2014; Mol and Bus 2011). Further educational benefits of RfP are detailed by Crimin and Scholes (2024), such as the development of a wider understanding of the world, the improvement of narrative and descriptive writing (which is also supported by Sénéchal et al. 2018), and the nurturing of students’ imaginations, particularly when they read fictional texts. RfP has been shown to improve students’ skills in other subjects, including mathematics and science (Atwell and Merkel 2016; Sullivan & Brown 2015). It increases general knowledge (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1988), first and second language acquisition (Krashen, 2004) and understanding of other cultures (Meek, 1991). Social benefits of reading for pleasure Apart from academic skills, RfP can improve the lives of young people in a range of ways, in turn supporting educational skills and engagement. RfP has been shown to potentially lower hyperactivity and emotional problems in young people (Mak & Fancourt 2020) as well as improve young people’s mental wellbeing (Sun et al. 2023; Cremin 2023; Dearnaley 2022; Robinson et al. 2019; Clark & Teravainen -Goff 2018). This is linked to the strengthening of confidence and self -competence in motivated readers (Cremin 2023; McInnes et al. 2021). There are even links between RfP and brain size in adolescence (Sun et al. 2023). Reading can also be a powerful vehicle for teaching social and emotional literacies (Williams -Sanchez & Cook 2024, p. 1603) because stories and illustrations provide opportunities to discuss characters and their emotions. Williams -Sanchez and Cook suggest: “It is on the pages of picturebooks that interpretations of other’s emotions become possible.” Similarly, there are positive links between empathy, emotional intelligence or prosocial behaviour and various kinds of reading, including reading storybooks (Ciesielska et al. 2025), dialogic reading (Xu 2024), reading picture books (Chen et al. 2025; Williams -Sanchez & C ook 2024) and reading Young Adult literature (Price 2023). RfP has also been found to increase children’s compassion, decision making and overall happiness (Boyask et al., 2021; Mak & Fancourt, 2020). There are even links between RfP , crime and unfavourable social outcomes. Lassi (2025) found that individuals who regularly read for pleasure were less likely to be arrested, participate in substance use, run away from home, carry a handgun, vandalise or steal. Most importantly, reading for pleasure can be a force of empowerment for students in low socio -economic circumstances. RfP is a vital tool for social change, with the OECD (2021) claiming that “students’ engagement in reading can mediate the effect of socio economic status on reading performance” (p. 28). RfP, according to Kucirkova and Cremin (2024), “is linked to social mobility and is an important indicator of a child’s future success” (p. 440). Similarly, Cremin and Scholes (2024) acknowledge that “the habit of reading in childhood, particularly fiction, has been established as a n invaluable one that can play a role in redressing educational inequalities” (p. 538). In centring RfP Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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as a critical tool for educational intervention, they also suggest that fostering a love of reading can also help “support the retention of teachers committed to social justice” (p. 550). Somerset Storyfest sees reading as an empowerment right. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to fall in love with reading, and our approach aims to reduce the barries to reading for pleasure, while also employing evidence -based approaches to en couraging reading.

The Story of Storyfest: An evidence - based approach to lowering barriers to reading, infusing reading with pleasure and developing communities of readers While the benefits of RfP are diverse, it can be a challenge to teach RfP in an already full curriculum. There are also substantial barriers, including identity, geography, dis/ability, resourcing and socio -economic status. Webber et al. (2024) explores si x barriers to adolescents ’ motivation to read for pleasure: access; mismatch between provision and interests/needs; social factors; history of negative reading experiences; reading affect; and time and competing activities. While some relate to personal circumstances, these barriers reflect structural and environme ntal factors outside a student’s control. It starts with joy At Storyfest, joy is something we take very seriously. We simply cannot ask children to fall in love with reading without modelling a reading culture that feels inviting. We use the word “festival” as part of our name intentionally, because our events are festive experiences, where you might find a giant inflatable ibis launching a book, kids cutting into a book -shaped cake, or a group of authors engaged in a dance battle. Schools are an important part of how we operate. For some children, “independent reading outside of school will only take place if children are introduced, and encouraged, to read books in school” (Oxley & McGeown 2023, p. 379), and our festivals are colla borations with schools with support of curriculum embedded into the program. However, in order to overcome barriers, the festival must feel entirely different to a school day. We are mindful to work against the factors that deter students from engaging with RfP – such as ‘boring’ text selection ( Webber et al. p. 207), reading’s association with being ‘uncool’ (p. 208), fear of being judged by others (p. 208), or reading being associated with schoolwork (p. 209). A research paper into secondary school attitudes to reading in Victoria, Australia found three main rea sons students were disenchanted from reading: “the construction of reading as work, a culture of mind wandering that is linked to disengagement, and the loss of voice and freedom students experience as they ensure that required tasks are completed in Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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preferred ways” ( McGraw and Mason 2019, p.141). The same paper further pointed to the negative impacts busy and technically oriented activities had, yearning for “space to engage in socially mediated, imaginative, deeply meaningful experiences which build higher -order reading sk ills” (p. 147). Rossington (2024) adds a further level of nuance, claiming that students aren’t necessary reluctant readers but rather technological distractions make it hard for students to concentrate (p. 25). As Leon and Biddle (2023, p. 88) (reinforcing the work of Collins and Safford 2008) suggest, “being able to put the right book in the right child’s hands at the right moment, can change that child’s relationship with reading forever.” For some kids, findi ng the right book might mean stretching the definition of a book or text and finding a mode of storytelling they connect with. As our name suggests, we embrace inclusive literacy (Flewitt et al., 2009), which acknowledges that a story can come to a child in a range of formats: visual, digital, spatial, social, spoken and printed. Of course, our authors play a key role and bringing the magic to Storyfest. Direct contact with authors can provide insight into the writing process and the wider world (Möllers 2006) and encourage young people to see themselves as writers and readers (Martelli 2022). Sharing a reading identity with celebrities more generally can also encourage the pursuit of similar goals (Webber et al. 2025). According to Martelli (2022), “Work ing with the community to create a literacy festival can help connect children with books which can help promote a lifelong love of reading and writing” (p. 119-120). At our festivals, authors are treated like rockstars, improving the social capital of re ading (Moje et al. 2008) and breaking down barriers. Research into the College of Education Literacy Festival (Martelli 2022) suggests: [Participants] expressed that during the author’s workshops and book signings, the authors became relevant and were less intimidated by the reading and writing process. They felt that they were able to discover the ideas behind books and could identify wit h the authors’ stories of struggles. They were enlightened to the joys of writing and publishing (p. 18). It’s an approach that works. Over the years, at Storyfest, we’ve seen all sorts of incredible things happen. We’ve had parents tell us their reluctant readers came home begging to buy books, librarians notice new kids coming to the library, or students who never imagined that being an author was possible writing their first poems/novellas/stories/songs. Access for all young people “To help ensure children accrue the benefits associated with being keen childhood readers, reader engagement needs to be promoted across schools, homes and communities in a way that ensures equal opportunity for all.” (Kucirkova and Cremin 2024, p. 444) Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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Kucirkova and Cremin 2024, p. 444) describe RfP as a red thread, which “connects readers to themselves, to others, to others’ lives and other worlds”. We believe every child deserves to experience the social and educational advantages that come through developing a love of reading, and as part of our s ocial justice mission, Storyfest attempts to address reading injustices. Through our Sponsored Schools and Storyfest on the Road program, we ensure that the opportunity to experience reading is made available across a range of socio -economic, geographic an d cultural barriers. Social -economic status of families and schools strongly impacts a young person’s access to and choice of reading texts, with students from lower socio -economic status reading for pleasure less (Cremin and Scholes 2024; OECD 2011). While it has been argued that RfP can disrupt pedagogies of poverty in low socio -economic schools (Hempel -Jorgensen et al. 2018), it is not always easy for schools to do this. For example, schools that intend to implement RfP may not have the resources and training to develop reading identities effectively (Cremin and Scholes 2024; Yang et al. 2023; Hempel -Jorgensen et al. 2018). Young people’s access to books is also influenced by socio -economic factors (Neuman and Moland 20 16; Scholes 2020), and the role of third sector organisations is important in “enriching” access to books (Cremin & Scholes 2024) through book gifting, volunteer reader support schemes and place -based community initiatives. This is, perhaps, particularly important in regional and remote areas, where students may face additional barriers —which Yi et al. (2023, p. 599) describe as a “rural -urban reading gap”. For example, children in rural areas have lower reading scores and le ss positive reading attitudes (Cartwright & Allen 2002; Memon et al. 2016), and regional or remote families are more likely to be in lower SES brackets and to have parents with lower academic qualifications (Cartwright & Allen 2002). Since transitioning to a standalone charitable entity in 2019, Storyfest has engaged with more than 100 schools through its Sponsored Schools Programme. The majority of participating schools fall significantly below the national ICSEA average of 1000, with some recording values as low as 760. This work is underpinned by a commitment to sustained engagement, with each partner school supported over a three -year period to enable deeper, more meaningful impact. During this time, Storyfest has distributed 43,686 books , an average of 6,240 annually , contributing to improved access to reading materials for students experiencing disadvantage. In 2025, Storyfest’s programs reached 30,889 participants, with this level of engagement continuing to increase year on year. Of course, it is vital that our First Nations students are not left out of the legacy of reading, which scholarship evidencing that reader motivation can be improved via multiple approaches to texts, including oral narratives (Dyke & Drummond 2015). Likewi se, students with severe and profound learning disabilities can also engage with Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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and benefit from RfP , particularly when there is a focus on “reading with other people, enjoying lots of activities about books and making books part of their daily routine” (Robinson et al. 2019, p.91). Accessibility and choice of texts is crucial in removing barriers to rea ding, making sure students have a range of books available to them to help motivate RfP habits and identities (Webber et al. 2025; Leon and Biddle 2023; Merga 2017). We prioritise inclusive programming, so students from diverse background can see themselves represented amongst our authors . A recent audit of the authors who have interacted with Storyfest since 2019 has been undertaken, this reflects 11% of authors who interact are First Nations, 11% are neurodivergent and 5% identify as a person with a disability. We’re currently working towards securing a book trailer to bring to our regional festivals, allowing us to ‘pop up’ to sell and give away books in ‘book deserts’ (Neuman & Moland 2016) along the way. In establishing our regional festivals, we’ve been caref ul to listen to each community and its needs, and to tailor programming accordingly. Where we can, we also support parents and families and empower them to participate in their child’s reading journey, based on evidence that long -term reading habits must be a partnership that successfully engages families (Levy 2023). For example, our youth festivals include adult events and professional development opportunities for teachers and home tutors in remote communities, where education is often supported by paren ts or governors. Communities of readers “The approach of teaching students to read for pleasure is somewhat convoluted as pleasure, by nature, cannot be taught but must be shared.” (Safford, 2014). Throughout the scholarship, the most common thread in encouraging RfP is community. McDonald et al. (2023) states: The social reading environment of a classroom, school and wider community is crucial to fostering an ethos of reading for pleasure. In such spaces, children and adults alike can immerse themselves in a safe, comfortable and text rich environment that chang es and evolves in response to the experiences of the children who inhabit it (p. 114). Leon and Biddle (2023) encourage children to informally converse about the texts they engage with, which is also known as “book talk”. “Book talk” can lead to more independent learning and peer support (p. 87 -88) and potentially improve the social status o f reading in general (p. 88), making reading ‘cool’. They suggest: “The motivational power of hearing peers talk about a text with real enthusiasm and passion cannot be overstated.”

Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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Indeed, some researchers call for holistic approaches to reading, such as Kucirkova and Cremin (2024), who suggest that “collaboration among educators, parents, policymakers and community leaders is essential to integrate reading for pleasure authentically into the curriculum and sustainably into reading cultures at home” (438). Community events and book festivals can provide many opportunities, such as: • • • •

building relatedness and connecting young people and communities together (Webber et al. 2025; MacMurray 2007); placing reading outside of school and hence improving its social capital (Webber et al. 2025); helping to fill in the gaps during school holidays (Oxley and McGeown 2023); celebrating literacy (Martelli 2022).

At Storyfest, this is what we do best. Reading is a social act (Mottram et al. 2023), and we enlist the whole community in the cause. Sharing the joy of reading helps “catalyse motivation” for reading, and so Storyfest brings together teachers, librarians, parents, community groups, volunteers, siblings, authors, artists, musicians, business and government and invites them all to join a community of readers, where students see a lifetime of reading reflected back to them, celebrated and enjoyed. As MacMurra y found, in studying reading festivals in Florida (2007, p. 10): These events serve multiple purposes for a community. They encourage programs in the schools about books, writing and reading, and the use of our public libraries. They promote literacy and life -long education through reading, while providing a forum for d iscussing aspects of writing and publishing. Lastly, they promote community spirit and pride. To make reading relevant, we harness students’ social motivation to read. We give them core memories where books and stories are a thing of joy, excitement and pleasure. And, very often, the students who come to us do the rest by turning the page themselve s.

Somerset Storyfest Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba, Queensland 4213 Telephone 07 5559 7377 email events@storyfest.com.au storyfest.com.au Somerset Storyfest Ltd. Trading as Storyfest

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