A Victorian State Wide Reading Program
1 December 2022 – 31 January 2023
The summer school holidays are a time for kids to enjoy a break away from school and indulge in a less structured, relaxed lifestyle with family and friends. While this is vitally important to their overall development and mental wellbeing, research has shown that kids can actually loose some of the literacy skills they gained during the year and start the next year at a disadvantage. It is called the Summer Slide and we see it all around the world. The answer to slowing this ‘slide’ is simple, and it does not involve more school work over summer!
Kids just need to keep reading, and be read to. Summer is the perfect time for children to indulge in books and stories and read for pleasure. This is where we come in!
The BIG Summer Read has been developed by Public Libraries Victoria in a joint effort to raise awareness of the benefits of reading over summer and to ensure Victorian children have access to resources proven to slow the slide. Together we are aiming to engage 10,000 children in the program! Will you join in?
What is it?
Kids are encouraged to keep reading over the summer holidays with an incentivised program that uses Beanstack, a mobile app that rewards you for reading. When reading milestones are reached, kids earn ‘badges’ for their Beanstack profile and increase their chances of winning a prize! Participants need to log a minimum of 10 books and collect 5 activity badges to complete the challenge. All badges will be released at the start of the program and can be completed at any time.
When does it start?
The program will open for pre-registration on Monday 7 November 2022 and starts Thursday 1 December 2022. Pre-registration is where kids can create their account on Beanstack and sign up to the program. It ends on Tuesday January 2023.
What is the intended age range for the BIG Summer Read?
All children and young adults, aged 0 to 18.
What are the prizes?
There will be a grand prize bumper pack, worth over $300. It includes:
- Science works family entry including planetarium and lightning room! Worth over $60.00
- Readings cinema $50.00 gift card, treat the gang to movie magic!
- A is for Art children’s workshop of your choice! Value of $85.00 Explore your creative potential.
- Jenjo games $40 gift card – lots of summertime fun with these super-sized games.
- Stimulate your senses at the Sensory Oasis for kids - $20.00 gift voucher – toys, games, books and more!
- Clip ‘n Climb Williamstown - entry for you and a friend - 2 climbs plus 2 ‘leap of faith’ pass to test your limits! – value of $50
- Snowball sweet store voucher - $30.00
- Science play for kids voucher for $25.00 - unlock a world of experimentation and creativity!
Statewide prizes
Three winners will be drawn randomly from those participants who completed the challenge on Beanstack.
- 0 to 8 years: $250 Readings gift voucher
- 9 to12 years: $250 Readings gift voucher
- 13 to 18 years: $500 Readings gift voucher
Winners and Hobsons Bay Libraries will be notified via email. Terms and Conditions can be found at plv.org.au/bsr
Will there be a paper-based alternative for those unable to use technology?
Yes – you can pick up a simple paper version at a library branch and return when completed to be included in the prize draw.
What safeguards are in place to protect users’ privacy?
Beanstack’s servers are US-based, and to safeguard users’ privacy we are asking for the bare minimum of personal information: email, name (an alias is acceptable), age & library service.
Read Beanstack’s privacy policy to learn more about how they handle user’s personal information and what they use/don’t use it for.
Terms and Conditions:
Library members participating in the BIG Summer Read must be under the age of 18, reside in Victoria and must be able to collect their prize from a Hobsons Bay Libraries branch.
Prizes will not be awarded to anyone who does not meet the eligibility criteria.
For a how-to guide on joining up and using Beanstack, watch this video.