Kids show reading skills
Teaching little ones about safety on the road
Which Spanish knight thought windmills were his enemy? What special power do the Jedi use, and who had a round table so his knights wouldn’t fight?
Those and many other questions were put to Northland’s keenest young readers in the regional heat of the 2018 Kids’ Lit Quiz at Kerikeri Primary School last week. More than 25 teams took part, each with four members aged 10 to 13, from Mangawhai Beach School in the south to Kaitaia Intermediate in the north.
Quizmaster Wayne Mills said the key to winning was simple — all the kids had to do was read everything written for children and young adults over the past 200 years.
In the end the $1000 prize for Northland’s most knowledgeable readers went to a Kamo Intermediate, just one point ahead of Matarau School with Kerikeri High School third.
The champs will now reprefinals sent Northland at the national in Wellington in June, and the winners there will compete against nine other countries in the world finals in Auckland in July.
Wayne Mills founded the Kids’ Lit Quiz in New Zealand 27 years ago, since when it has gone global, with more than 8000 children taking part each year. The questions are drawn from everything from classic children’s literature to the latest best sellers. Pre-school teachers around the country are being urged to take part in the first national Beep Beep! Day on May 9, and to make road safety lessons a regular part of their curricula.
The road safety charity Brake is behind the campaign, supported by Thrifty Car Rental, to teach children road safety basics and remind parents and drivers of their responsibility to help protect children when driving.
Brake says every week, on average, seven children under the age of 10 are injured on New Zealand roads, and Beep Beep! Day is designed to reduce that statistic.
Anyone working with children aged two to seven can stage a Beep Beep! Day on May 9 or any other day of their choice, which would involve creative, educational activities using guidance and resources from Brake, such as creating a poster of hand prints to remind children and parents to hold hands, playing the ‘belt up’ game to learn about child seats, singing road safety songs and baking traffic light biscuits.
Those activities would teach young children the road safety basics, and encourage parents to consider the steps they needed to take to keep their children safe, while children could also raise funds in support of Brake’s campaigning for safer roads and supporting bereaved and injured crash victims.
The national day in May would link to this year’s Road Safety Week theme by focusing on the importance of using appropriate child seats for all children under 148cm, and reminding parents and the community to look out for young children when on the road.
Early childhood centres, primary schools and child minders would receive a free action pack of resources, and could order an optional hard copy resource pack, by registering at www.brake.org.nz/ beepbeepday, phoning (021) 407-953 or emailing info@brake.org.nz