ROOP Needs Help Delivering 10,000 Literacy Packs To Children Before Book Week

Not-for-profit organisation Reading Out of Poverty (ROOP) is racing to deliver 2,000 literacy packs containing 10,000 books to children aged zero to five across East Arnhem Land before Book Week, which runs from 22 to 28 August.

The campaign highlights a gap in early childhood literacy that many Australians may not be aware of. For most children in the country, owning a book is an unremarkable part of growing up – so ordinary it barely registers as a privilege. But in East Arnhem Land, there are children who will go through their entire childhood without ever owning a single book.

Why early books matter

The disparity carries consequences well beyond the bookshelf. The years before a child enters a classroom are when the foundations for reading are established. Children who grow up around books tend to arrive at school ready to learn, while those who do not are already behind and face an uphill struggle to catch up. Some never do.

According to the Australian Department of Education, children who struggle with literacy early on are more likely to become illiterate adults.

The problem is not a small one. Research conducted by Equity Economics and Code Read Dyslexia Network estimates that around 20 per cent of the student population – approximately 800,000 students currently in Australian schools – is at risk of being struggling readers. Many of these children are not formally diagnosed with a learning disability. They are what researchers describe as “instructional casualties” – children who would have learnt to read had they been identified early and provided with evidence-based teaching.

A system stuck in ‘wait to fail’ mode

The Equity Economics research, submitted to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the National School Reform Agreement, found that Australia’s education system remains stuck in a reactive “wait to fail” model. Schools wait until children show a problem rather than proactively identifying those at risk and helping them before they fall behind.

NAPLAN reading scores have stagnated since 2013. Data shows the proportion of students falling below national minimum standards grows as cohorts progress from primary school to high school. In 2015, 3.6 per cent of Year 3 students met minimum reading standards in NAPLAN. Six years later, among the same cohort now in Grade 9, the percentage of students not meeting those standards had grown to 8.7 per cent.

Researchers estimate that 95 per cent of all children can be taught to read by the end of first grade with effective instruction covering five key components: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

South Australia pointing the way

South Australia has demonstrated what proactive literacy measures can achieve. The state government invested $20.9 million over four years from 2018-19 through its Literacy Guarantee Initiative, which included mandatory phonics screening for all Year 1 students.

The 2021 South Australian Phonics Screening Check results showed a 24 percentage point improvement from 2018. In 2021, 67 per cent of Year 1 students met the expected achievement level, up from 43 per cent in 2018. Gains were recorded across students from non-English speaking backgrounds, non-metropolitan areas, Aboriginal students and students with a verified disability.

South Australia is now identifying 17.2 per cent of enrolments as requiring cognitive support, compared to a national average of 11.9 per cent. Were all jurisdictions to be identifying the same proportion of children requiring cognitive assistance, an estimated 200,000 additional children would be receiving support.

Despite these results, a free phonics screener tool is not mandatory in Queensland, the ACT or the Northern Territory.

The economic cost of inaction

The financial toll of poor literacy stretches across an individual’s lifetime and across the broader economy. A 2016 report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Education found that a five per cent increase in cognitive capacity could contribute $12 to $26 billion to Australia’s GDP over a 50-year period.

According to the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) survey, 13.7 per cent of Australians aged 15 to 74 – around 2.3 million people – have literacy skills below Level 2, the threshold considered necessary to meet the basic demands of work and life.

Families can spend upwards of $355,000 on independent schooling, private tutoring and evaluations to support a child who is a struggling reader. For families without financial means, reading difficulties can be insurmountable.

A 2020 report by BCG estimated the economic impact of dyslexia on California alone at US$12 billion annually, with a US$1 trillion cost projected over 60 years. The same report found that investing in early screening and teacher training would provide an 800 to 2,000 per cent return, because the cost of addressing reading difficulties early in a child’s development is minimal compared to the downstream costs if the issue is ignored.

Dyslexia – a ‘rich person’s disability’

The Equity Economics research described dyslexia as sometimes being labelled “a rich person’s disability” because formal assessment by a psychologist costs between $1,000 and $3,000 and is not covered by either the Medical Benefits Scheme or the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

For children whose families can afford a formal assessment, diagnosis often comes four to five years after they start school – too late for the student to efficiently close the gap with their peers. It is commonly understood that it takes four times longer to remediate a fourth grader than a first grader.

The research argues the National School Reform Agreement should require jurisdictions to seek out, find and support students at risk of not reaching grade-level literacy standards from the first year of schooling and continuing throughout primary school.

Getting behind the campaign

With 40 days remaining, ROOP is calling on schools, businesses and individuals to help reach its target of delivering literacy packs to East Arnhem Land children in time for Book Week.

Schools and early learning centres can participate by donating a gold coin on dress-up day during Book Week, running a readathon or hosting a book sale. Businesses and community groups can contribute directly or through workplace giving programs. ROOP provides support materials for any participating organisation.

A donation of $25 provides one complete literacy pack. Donations can be made at roop.org.au/book-week-2026.

Last Updated on July 19, 2026 by Nick Ross