Big sister teacher: When reading becomes shared

In the regional town of Goondiwindi, on the NSW-Queensland border, Shannon is raising three young girls – a six-year-old and three-year-old twins. 

Life got particularly busy for the family after the arrival of the twins, and bedtime stories could often end up with one book read to all three daughters.

But, newly enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the family started to notice a shift.

The twins started receiving their own books, and for their older sister, a different kind of pride emerged. 

Mum Shannon noticed the big sister began taking the initiative to read to her younger sisters, picking up a book and gathering them around.

At nearly seven, she is now confident enough to decode the words herself – and she loves stepping into the role of big sister teacher and reading aloud to her little sisters.

Now, the twins sit beside her, repeating words after she says them, pointing to familiar animals and objects in the pictures, proudly naming what they recognise.

Reading has become shared between siblings, not just a parent-led activity.

Shannon has noticed that all three children now also love reading their own books, mirroring what they see at childcare where independent book exploration is encouraged.

Let’s read this one!

The arrival of a new book each month triggers plenty of excitement in the house, including exclamations of: “Let’s read this one!”

The twins delight in describing pictures and identifying objects, and their vocabulary is building through conversation around images.

The variety of books has also removed the mental load of choosing for Shannon.

And while she jokes about the occasional sibling argument over the books, the program has

strengthened the bond between the girls.

A proud mum

Her eldest daughter sitting down unprompted to read to her twin sisters, and the twins happily echoing her words as she goes, is a source of much happiness and pride for Shannon.

She is seeing her eldest daughter display leadership and confidence from a young age, as she discovers the joy of teaching.

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