News

Launch of Indij Readers

A labour of love 10 years in the making, the first collection of Indij Readers will be launched by leading Australian writer, actor, producer and director Rhoda Roberts at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on May 20.

The readers, along with the accompanying workbook for teachers, aim to promote early literacy skills, particularly for Aboriginal learners, to present positive images of Aboriginal society and culture, and to reflect the diversity of Indigenous communities across Australia.

With a series of books "for little fullas" and another "for big fullas", the appealingly illustrated readers are an excellent resource. Each title has been commissioned and developed specifically to engage Aboriginal students in junior and senior primary schools, but also to provide descriptive insight into aspects of Aboriginal life and history which will be interesting and relevant for every student.

All the stories and non-fiction pieces in the collection have been written and illustrated by Indigenous people, and each stage in the planning and organisation of the content of the books was undertaken in consultation with representatives from the Aboriginal communities concerned.

The readers "for little fullas" have been levelled for Reading Recovery, and the teacher's workbook provides activites and lesson ideas which are linked to NSW syllabuses. The teaching materials were developed by teachers and DET Consultants and have been piloted in a range of schools across the state.

Some of the contributing authors and illustrators will be at the launch to talk about their work. It will be held in the Yirabana Foyer on Level 3 of the Gallery. Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, Governor of New South Wales, will be a guest speaker at the launch.

For further information about Indij Readers contact Marg Cossey at mcossey@ozemail.com.au

"Above all else Indij Readers is committed to the principle of engaging Indigenous Australians to write and illustrate their own texts that, along with a wide variety of other available teaching resources, can be used by Indigenous and non Indigenous students to help acquire that priceless gift - or rather that inalienable human right - of effective literacy." (Dr Paul Brock, DET Director of Strategic Research, July 2002)

Racism, No way! is an Australian anti-racism education initiative managed by the Department of Education and Training on behalf of education systems nationally.