In the Media
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Trying to read more? Your brain will thank you
All In The Mind, an ABC Radio National Program podcast episode featuring Genevieve McArthur
25 September 2026
This podcast episode, featuring Genevieve McArthur, discusses how reading works in the brain and the cognitive, emotional, and social benefits associated with reading, particularly fiction. Experts explain how reading draws on visual processing, language, attention, and memory, while fiction may strengthen vocabulary, perspective-taking, empathy, and social understanding. The episode also explores reading in different languages, the value of audiobooks, the positive role of inclusive stories, and the relationship between reading difficulties, anxiety, reduced confidence, and disengagement. It concludes by considering Australia’s declining literacy rates and the importance of accessible, relevant reading support.
Experts urge literacy to fight bullying as NAPLAN results slide
Renata Gortan & Diana Jenkins, 9 August 2026
News article for news.com.au
New data shows three in five Australian students have faced bullying, while NAPLAN results reveal one-third are missing literacy benchmarks—and researchers say the two problems are linked. Strengthening foundational literacy, they argue, builds resilience and supports mental health, helping kids better withstand bullying's effects. Schools are responding with a national push on reading, writing, and spelling, including over 65,000 students now enrolled in the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee, as literacy becomes a frontline tool against the bullying crisis.
The impact of reading difficulties on children’s wellbeing
Genevieve McArthur, 20 July 2026
News article for teachermagazine.com
Professor Genevieve McArthur explains how reading difficulties can trigger a self-reinforcing cycle in children (falling behind in reading damages self-concept, fuels anxiety, and drives disengagement, which further stalls reading progress). With one in three Australian students missing literacy benchmarks and one in four experiencing high psychological distress, the article highlights Clever Kids, a Perth-developed program shown in randomised trials to significantly improve coping, self-esteem, and anxiety in children with dyslexia.
Adult Literacy Rates
ABC Darwin Radio interview with Genevieve McArthur, June 2026
Discussion of adult literacy challenges in Australia and their social and economic implications.
Dolly Parton leaves a legacy to children's literacy with her Imagination Library
WiL supported project (Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library) mention by ABC News, 27 August 2026
This ABC News piece traces the legacy of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a free book-gifting program she founded in 1995 in tribute to her father, who never learned to read. Now operating in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia, the program has gifted 332 million books worldwide (over 2 million in Australia since 2013) and a 2025 international study of 86,000 families found enrolled children were nine times more likely to be read to regularly and showed reduced early literacy gaps.
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ABC West Coast SA AM, Afternoons with Jo Laverty
Mention of Genevieve McArthur, 13 July 2026
ABC West Coast SA Radio Mention
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More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate. How can we fix this?
By Genevieve McArthur, 20 May 2026
News article for The Conversation
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How struggling readers become anxious kids
By Journalist Menios Constantinou, Feburary 2026
News article for Impact ACU
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Robotic reading buddies help struggling kids
TV Segment by 7NEWS, November 2025
About a WiL supported project (robotic reading companions)
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Does your child have reading anxiety?
By Genevieve McArthur, 1 February 2024
News Article for Child Magazines
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What can you do if your child hates reading?
By Genevieve McArthur, January 2024
News Article for Child Magazines
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Does your child have reading difficulties? They may also have reading anxiety.
By Genevieve McArthur, 30 October 2023
News Article for The Parents Website
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Some kids with reading difficulties can also have reading anxiety – what can parents do?
By Genevieve McArthur, 20 October 2023
News Articles for The Conversation, World.edu, Generation Next, and Education Daily
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Anxiety in the Classroom
ABC Central Victoria Radio Interview with Genevieve McArthur, October 2023
Discussing reading anxiety and student wellbeing.
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Laureate Professor Anne Castles leads new research into high school literacy
By Journalist Sarah Lansdown, 3 September 2023
News article about WiL researcher Anne Castles for Canberra Times
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What do I do if my child hates reading?
ABC Hobart Radio Interview with Genevieve McArthur, August 2023
Discussing about practical advice for parents seeking to encourage reading engagement.
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What Do I Do If My Child Hates Reading?
ABC Radio Perth Interview with Genevieve McArthur, August 2023
Discussion of children's reading motivation and family reading habits.
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What can you do if your child hates reading?
By Genevieve McArthur, 19 August 2023
News article for The Conversation, The Parents Website, News.com.au, Tolerance.ca, Street Libraries Australia, Yahoo News, and Press Trust India
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Reading anxiety: Emerging research offers new insights for teachers
By Journalist Sarah Duggan, 16 August 2023
News article about WiL research for EducationHQ
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Study suggests link between reading difficulties and anxiety
By Journalist Tim Robertson, 21 June 2022
News Article about WiL research for NewsG
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‘Brain‑Training’ … or learning, as we like to call it
By Genevieve McArthur, 5 October 2012
News article for The Conversation