Introduction

In this introduction, I provide an overview of the original reading for enjoyment (RfE) research project, from which this book is drawn. I explain the significance of student engagement in reading for enjoyment with reference to evidence-informed research. I then describe book blether—as a significant ontologically oriented approach—its emergence, effect and educative value. I introduce the eminent teacher Belinda in a manner that I hope holds her dear. I explain key aspects of the Australian Curriculum: English enactment and identify all relevant curriculum content to be taught and learnt. I present John Dewey’s (1934) seminal theory of aesthetic experience, making clear its relevance to twenty-first-century classroom practice. The Australian Curriculum: English (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2022a) is founded upon Halliday’s (1975, 1985) functional model of language. A major emphasis is on the dynamic nature of language in its relation to context. The cultural and social context of any text is of paramount importance. Context plays a crucial role in shaping and interpreting language use, and without considering context, a full understanding of language cannot be achieved. This chapter provides the factual and circumstantial context to the awe-inspiring story that follows. It describes in detail, and quite some length, the nuanced particulars of the research project and the parameters within which it was conducted. It communicates the mandated curriculum content, to which students were entitled. The specifics of the curriculum content may not be identical to those many readers work with. I hope, however, that they are comparable in their rigour and objectives. Some readers may wish to skip this information and dive straight into the inspiring stories about Belinda and the students of 3B. I ask that you circle back to this chapter and consider her remarkable achievements in light of the context in which she worked. Further advice on the structure of the book is provided at the end of this chapter.