Writers ignite kids' reading joy
Authors giving talks at New Zealand schools stoke enthusiasm for reading and writing, new research has found.
AUT’s LitPlus research group evaluated a Storylines Trust tour of year 1-8 children at 13 schools across Rotorua and Taupō in 2024. It found the authors inspired teachers and students alike.
“Children’s reading enjoyment often declines as they grow older and they read less,” says AUT Senior Lecturer Ross Bernay.
“Author talks offer a way to counteract this trend by building excitement and active participation in literacy, particularly for older students.”
Research assistants Spencer Emery and Opal Jensen observed the Storylines Trust tour in NZ, noting interactions between the authors, educators, and students, and holding focus group discussions afterwards with school staff, following up with a questionnaire.
Four local authors read aloud and provided a glimpse into the creative process, including how books are edited, published, and brought to life.
Teachers observed immediate heightened interest in exploring the visiting authors' works, with one educator noting: “A lot of students feel that being a writer is just so out of reach, so seeing a real author makes it more attainable.”
Another teacher recounted: “One boy walked up to me and said, ‘We should write a book’ - and this is a boy who doesn’t usually write.”
Many teachers noted that the author’s enthusiasm encouraged them to try innovative approaches, such as encouraging students to publish their work in classroom libraries and discussing how book covers were purposely designed for audiences.
AUT Senior Lecturer John Milne is a Co-Director of LitPlus and worked on the Storylines Trust tour evaluation.
“After the presentations, an inspiring atmosphere was evident with students brainstorming ideas for their own stories, discussing their future writing careers, and looking forward to going to the school library to find books to read,” Dr Milne says.
“Teachers felt excited about literacy lesson plans, with many new ideas and techniques to engage their students and to enhance their literacy skills.
“Far from being a solitary activity, reading for pleasure thrives within a community of readers who share and recommend stories, spark new interests and spread excitement.”
Storylines Executive Officer, Anne de Lautour, says Storylines Story Tours provide a positive experience for students and the communities they visit.
“In remote areas that are under served it is often the first time that they see themselves reflected in the stories they hear,” she says.
“It is the aim of Storylines to try to quantify the impact of a Storylines Story Tour school visit. The collaboration between the AUT LitPlus research team has been welcomed and successful in helping us further evaluate our programme.”
Previous LitPlus research highlights significant benefits of reading for pleasure, including improved academic performance, enhanced cognitive abilities, greater psychological well-being, and more substantial social inclusion.
Dr Milne says New Zealand’s refreshed curriculum, Te Mātaiaho, acknowledges the benefits of reading for pleasure, the communal aspect of reading and the importance of writing to enhance reading.
“Author talks align with this vision and are one way to ensure that technical reading does not overshadow and dominate the classroom experience.”