Welcome parents, carers, and teachers! This page provides information to help you support children with their academic, social, and emotional learning. Many resources are available online.

For questions or feedback, you can contact any branch.

Parenting Talks

Parenting Talk: Raising Multilingual Children

Join local speech pathologist Lisa Decker from Well Said Clinic in this one hour session where you will learn tips for raising children in more than one language.

Manor Lakes Library
Monday 18 March 10:30-11:30am

More information and bookings

You can also check out the Events on Demand page for videos of previous talks, including Raising Multilingual Children.

Wyndham City Libraries Tour – Expression of Interest

Wyndham City Libraries are very happy to offer free tours of our Libraries to local schools and kindergartens. Sessions are tailored to the age of the children and we talk about how the children can use the library. We also incorporate some fun age-appropriate activities, such as scavenger hunts and reading stories together.

Please note that we will require a minimum of 4 weeks notice to organise your library visit. 

Complete this form to express your interest in a library visit

Learning to Read

Wyndham Library service has a large selection of books, resources and programs to support your child’s reading development.

  • For information on reading with children aged 0-5, please see our early years resources here
  • For information about our Read With Me program click here 

Shared Reading

Reading to your child is a great way to encourage a love of reading and it supports key components of reading development such as, increasing vocabulary, demonstrating the phonetics (sounds) of words and enhancing your child’s ability to make meaning of what is read.

Explore information and tips for reading with your child:

For ideas on books to read with your primary school aged child see our Kid’s Reading Lists.

If you speak a language other than English at home, we have a range of bilingual picture books for you to share with your child. Another option is to read a book aloud in English or listen to an audio book in English and then talk about the story in whatever language feels most comfortable. Enhancing literacy skills is just one of the benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism.

Beginning Readers

Learning to read can be like ‘cracking a code.’ It involves learning how to separate words into speech sounds, linking these sounds to letters and then blending these sounds together to read words. The sounds part of this process (phonemic awareness) can be difficult for many, particularly with the complexity of English spelling.

Decodable Readers

Decodable readers are books with simple spelling patterns. They are designed for beginning readers to practise their decoding skills. Each level contains sound-letter relationships and word types that the child has already been taught. This allows beginning and struggling readers to build confidence and improve their reading accuracy and fluency.

Click here to explore our Decodable Readers.

covers of three decodable readers from the library collection

Easy Readers

Easy readers are short chapter books, with large font and spacing, designed to encourage independent reading. The Junior Easy Reader collection at Wyndham Library Service is identified with a bright yellow sticker.

Click here to explore our Junior Easy Readers.

covers of three easy readers from the library collection

As your child learns to read independently, it’s important to continue reading to them and offering a wide variety of texts based on their interests. For information on engaging your child with reading, see our Encouraging a Love of Reading page.

Explore the following links for information on how you can help your child learn to read:

Encouraging a Love of Reading

Many parents express concern that their child does not want to read. The child might say it is boring or too hard even though they loved books and being read to before they started school. Reading becomes one of the many things they are told they have to do.

It is important to allow your child to choose what they read.  Many children struggle with reading “traditional” books. To jump start your child’s love of reading, consider books that focus on “edgy” topics, are funny, or include a great deal of action. By tapping into your child’s interests, you are more likely to encourage regular reading habits.

Research has shown children benefit greatly from parents continuing to read to them throughout primary school. It helps them to further develop their vocabulary and comprehension skills and reminds them that reading is enjoyable. 

Resources that offer variety and engagement include:

For more suggestions of books for kids, visit our reading lists for inspiration. Other sites include Storybox Library for stories read out loud by Australian authors and personalities and the International Children’s Digital Library for books in a variety of languages.

Academic Resources

eLibrary 

Our eLibrary offers free access to:

  • eBooks and eAudiobooks (including books in other languages)
  • Study Support
  • Educational Games and Websites

Visit eLibrary

Readers and Workbooks 

Our collection includes books to help children learn to read. We also have literacy and numeracy workbooks, including NAPLAN.

View our Readers   View our Workbooks

Free online readers are available through SPELD

Free online literacy and numeracy activities are available at:

Parent Resources 

The library has many books for parents and carers looking for ways to support their child’s reading, writing, and maths.

View our Resources

The Victorian Government has published a downloadable book with everyday literacy and numeracy tips.

For online tips and activities to support learning, visit Learning Potential

Teacher Resources 

We have books for educators, covering topics such as behaviour management, creative arts, and literacy.

View our Resources

For online, curriculum-based resources, visit:

For up-to-date, Australian based content, which can be displayed by reading level, visit Britannica Library. Here, you can create resource packs to share with students who have a Wyndham Library membership.

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge 

The Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge runs every year, between March and September. Our libraries have hundreds of books for each year level in primary school.

eBooks count towards the challenge and one-third of the books do not need to be from the Challenge List.

For more information about the rules and how to register, visit the Premiers' Reading Challenge website.

Exploring the Physical, Social, and Emotional World

Information Resources        

Our Junior Information Books cover the following topics:

  • People and Places      
  • Tales and Rhymes      
  • Things to Make and Do          
  • Fun Facts   
  • Environment and Science      
  • Animals

To search by subject Visit the Catalogue

For current, Australian based information, which can be displayed by reading level, visit Britannica Library

More online information can be found at National Geographic Kids

Virtual Visits

Many places can be explored online and have activities for children. Here’s a small selection:

Wellbeing

Our collection includes age appropriate material on topics like personal safety (including online safety), body awareness, mental health and mindfulness, social skills, and resilience. Use these terms to locate suitable items Visit the Catalogue

For free phone and web counselling and information about common concerns, visit Kids’ Helpline.

For advice on healthy internet and device usage visit the Office of eSafety Commissioner.

Parenting

Parenting Collection

Our collection has resources to support you with parenting. Topics include relationships, mental health, parenting strategies, and managing difficult behaviours. Use these terms to search the catalogue. 

Visit the Catalogue

Other Resources

Wyndham Child and Family Directory provides information about local services and supports available for children 0-12 years old and their parents.

Drummond Street provides free (or low cost) services and downloadable tip sheets to support families.

Raising Children Network is an online parenting resource supported by the Australian Government with up-to-date articles, videos, and apps in a variety of languages.

Children with Additional Needs

Library Resources

We have resources to support adults and children with additional needs.

Try the searches below or speak to a library staff member to find the best resource for you: 

  • ADHD             
  • Autism           
  • Disability        
  • Dyslexia         
  • Learning Difficulties               
  • Speech Disorders        

Visit the Catalogue

Other Resources

The Victorian Department of Education and Training has a website dedicated to helping students with additional needs access quality education.

The following services provide online support and information:

Amaze provides information, support, and advocacy services for people with autism, parents and carers, and educators.

Association for Children with a Disability is a Victorian association offering information and support for families of children with disabilities.

Raising Children Network  is an online parenting resource supported by the Australian Government with up-to-date articles, videos, and apps in a variety of languages.

Speech Pathology Australia is the national body for speech pathologists. Their website includes fact sheets about speech development and disorders.

SPELD Victoria supports the learning of those with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.

                       

Reading Difficulties

Sometimes it’s hard to learn how to read. Most children respond well to a structured program, and some will continue to struggle for lots of reasons, even with high quality, intensive instruction. Developmental delays, health issues, and other factors can all make reading difficult. People can also have a specific learning disorder that only affects reading development, commonly referred to as ‘Dyslexia'.

Explore these links for information on reading difficulties and resources on how to support your child:

Research has shown that a good quality, synthetic phonics program with decodable readers is the most effective intervention for children with reading difficulties.

Explore our range of decodable readers, recommended by Australian SPELD associations:

Cover images for The big red box, Nat, and Cindy's Trip to Perth

Dandelion Readers

Little Learners Love Literacy

Decodable Readers Australia

Fitzroy Readers

Letters and Sounds

It is important to continue sharing and offering your child a wide variety of texts based on their interests. For information on engaging your child with reading, scroll back up to Encouraging a Love of Reading.

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