PISA and the Importance of Reading

Later this year Magdalene students in Years 9 and 10 will participate in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

PISA is one of the international assessments of the National Assessment Program (NAP). The NAP is part of a national strategy to monitor and report on student achievement, in a comparable and consistent way. This allows Australian governments (Federal and State) to monitor progress against the Melbourne Declaration Goals for Young Australians.

More details about this assessment will be provided to students involved in the coming weeks.

It is useful to note that PISA data can tell us much about student progress across multiple subject areas and it can show factors that impact individual achievement.

One common finding in PISA tests in recent years is the exceptional importance of reading and how, if regular, it can enhance student learning outcomes.

Daily Reading

While there is a multitude of factors that can impact achievement (e.g. the quality of instruction, access to learning resources and contextual family information), there is an extremely strong correlation between the time spent reading each day and learning growth and achievement.

In the most recent PISA test data, an analysis of close to 200,000 students, revealed that there was a very strong connection between reading engagement and reading performance in all 32 countries examined.

Students who were in the habit of reading regularly, read diverse texts and regarded reading as valuable, scored higher on PISA’s combined reading literacy scale.

Of particular interest was that a student’s ‘level of reading engagement’ was found to be a more significant factor than gender or socioeconomic status. Students with high reading engagement scored significantly above the international average on the ‘combined reading literacy scale’. Therefore, students by taking the initiative with reading, could and can overcome traditional barriers to achievement.

So, what does this mean for us?

Students at Magdalene read regularly in their English classes BUT we know that if students read every day for at least 20 minutes SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT can result.

Reading is enjoyable. Reading widely ensures that balance exists in a person’s life and that we don’t miss out on gaining greater general knowledge required in our lives.

I have written in previous Newsletters about how 20 minutes of reading every day can extend a student’s vocabulary considerably, but it can also enhance learning engagement, literacy skills and positively impact on a student’s capacity for critical thinking.

Students have access to many physical books from our College Library and they also have access to a broad array of digital texts. Of note, all students have access to the “Student reading app for OverDrive” (SORA); an online reading platform accessible on student MacBooks, or as an app. SORA provides access to ebooks, audiobooks and a large range of commercial magazines from our College and the National Catholic library. Students have been sent details about how to access this. While personally, I prefer an actual book that I can take around with me, this is a personal choice and SORA has a broad and diverse range of material. So, regardless of the format, let's encourage reading!

What is your favourite book?

Following recent conversations about students’ favourite novels, I started to wonder if my own children knew what my favourite book was and why.

I will be speaking about my favourite book and the importance of reading at the next College Assembly – so be fair warned – your children may be asking you (if they don’t know already) what your favourite book is and why you like it so much.

PRAYER

While it seems sometimes that the media can ‘get bored’ by ongoing issues, and therefore report less and less on critical issues, let us continue to pray for the people of Ukraine as they faced prolonged warfare, destruction and hardship.

Prayer for Peace and Justice in Ukraine

God of peace and justice,
who change the hardened heart
and break the power of violence,
we entrust the people of Ukraine to you.

Protect them in this time of mortal peril;
let them know not death but life,
not slavery but freedom.

You are Father of all;
we are brothers and sisters.

Give us the strength
to live that truth in love,
choosing peace not war.
Through Christ our Lord.

                                                    – Amen.

[Prayer courtesy of The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.]