New Zealand’s ‘other’ national sport has its time to shine

New Zealand’s ‘other’ national sport has its time to shine Monday, May 16 2016: There’s no denying that rugby is New Zealand’s national sport, with our All Blacks currently sitting atop the world podium, but for some it’s pipped at the post by another type of ‘sport’: reading. Kids’ Lit Quiz, dubbed “the sport of reading”, was founded by New Zealand quizmaster Wayne Mills in 1991. The annual literature quiz tests students aged 10 to 13 years old on their ability to read and retain key points and facts from a variety of books for their age group. Categories include authors, titles, setting, characters, poetry and nursey rhymes. The quizzes are now held in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and US, with each country holding regional and national heats, before heading to a World Final at the end of the year. New Zealand is the current world champion, with Waikato’s Southwell School taking the top spot in the US last year. Quizmaster Wayne, who reads enough books to write several thousand questions per year, developed the event after seeing his own children’s school assemblies – and the distinct lack of incentives for pupils who loved to read. “I never saw any children be rewarded for reading – it was always netball and rugby, with a few awards in music and science. I thought, ‘Why was this?’ Reading surely is just as, if not more important, in children’s lives. So I decided to turn reading into a sport. “At Kids’ Lit Quiz, you work in a team; the team and the crowd cheer and clap – there’s something so encouraging about that.” The event is made possible due to the continued support of national sponsors Whitcoulls, Wright Family Foundation, Softlink and South Pacific Books. Chloe Wright of the Wright Family Foundation is thrilled to be involved once again, to support the Kids’ Lit Quiz National Final in Wellington’s National Library on May 21. “This event is vitally important because reading creates a vivid imagination where movies are created in the mind, foreign places and ways are visited, words give you wings, heroes are born and villains vanquished. In turn, the impact of these creative minds on the community is that they stimulate the arts, inventive processes and a host of other possibilities,” she says. Like the Rugby World Cup, Kids’ Lit Quiz competitors train hard to refine their mental skills before the big day. The 2015 national and world champions, Southwell School, are exemplary of the lengths these pupils go to in order to prepare – taking home 70-80 books to power through in the mid-year school holidays before the New Zealand final. Wayne believes Kids’ Lit Quiz is extremely beneficial for those participating because as well as developing their reading, writing and vocabulary skills, it also grows their social ability and content knowledge. “Quizzers are made to feel really good about themselves – it’s a great self-esteem boost. For those kids who get called ‘nerds’ at school for being passionate about books, they can now walk into the Kids’ Lit Quiz venue, and see there are dozens of other children there who also love to read and view reading as ‘cool’. “In the 25 years I have been holding Kids’ Lit Quiz events around the world, I get at least one story a month from proud parents about how this competition has changed the lives of their son or daughter. “Often these kids are struggling to fit in at school, but being recognised on a national – and often international – stage turns them from zero to hero in the eyes of their peers.” Following the national competition in Wellington, New Zealand will play host to the Worlds this August, an event which is expected to attract an audience of at least 3000 in Auckland’s Aotea Centre on Friday, August 19. The Kids’ Lit Quiz National Final is held at the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington, Saturday May 21, from 1pm-4pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend. ENDS

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