Our Bring Your Own Novel (BYON) course gives families the flexibility to study a novel of their choice while still completing a curriculum-aligned English program.
Whether your child has a favourite book at home or you'd like to borrow one from your local library, the BYON course allows students to apply their English learning to a novel that suits their interests, reading level, or family values.
What is the Bring Your Own Novel (BYON) course?
The Bring Your Own Novel (BYON) course is an optional English subject that covers the same Australian Curriculum learning outcomes as our standard English course, while giving your family the flexibility to choose the novel your child studies throughout the term.
Students complete the same structured English lessons, but instead of following the Euka set novel, they apply their learning to a book of their own choice. This could be a novel you already have at home, one borrowed from your local library, or a new book that matches your child's interests, values, or reading level.
The lesson activities have been carefully designed so they can be completed using any age-appropriate novel, allowing families to personalise their child's reading experience while remaining fully aligned with the curriculum.
Who is eligible?
The BYON course is available to families completing their studies in Euka's New Learning Platform.
How do I check if I'm on the new learning platform?
Click Here to Confirm
It is available for:
Grade 1 – Term 4
Grade 2 through to Grade 12 (all terms)
How does it work?
Once the BYON course has been added to your student's program, it will appear alongside your weekly lessons, just like your standard English course.
Families can choose to:
Replace their existing English course with the BYON course, or
Complete both the standard English course and the BYON course.
The choice is entirely yours.
Note: Euka recommends that if you do opt for BYON, you continue to use BYON for the remainder of your grade; however, this is not a fixed position and the opportunity to switch between BYON & standard English at any term-based interval as required remains your family/student choice.
Personalised Learning Plan (PLP) option
The BYON course can also be used as an excellent alternative for students who require English at a different grade level.
For example, a Grade 8 student could be assigned the Grade 7 BYON course as part of their Personalised Learning Plan (PLP), rather than completing the standard Grade 7 English course.
Please note: The BYON course can be added at a grade level up to two grades higher or lower than the student's current enrolment.
How do I add the BYON course?
Adding the BYON course is easy!
Simply reach out to our Customer Support team, and we'll be happy to add it to your student's Student Portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the BYON course available on the previous learning platform?
Is the BYON course available on the previous learning platform?
No. The BYON course has been designed specifically for our New Learning Platform.
If you're using the previous platform, you can still request our existing Choose Your Own Novel Unit.
Do I have to complete both the BYON course and the standard English course?
Do I have to complete both the BYON course and the standard English course?
No.
The choice is completely up to your family!
The BYON course is fully aligned with the Australian Curriculum and covers the same English learning outcomes as our standard English course, so you can confidently complete the BYON course on its own.
If you'd like additional reading and writing practice, you're also welcome to complete both courses.
Note: Euka recommends that if you do opt for BYON, that you continue to use BYON for the remainder of your grade, however, this is not a fixed position and the opportunity to switch between BYON & standard English at any term based interval as required remains your family/student choice.
Will the BYON course appear in my reports?
Will the BYON course appear in my reports?
Yes!
The BYON course will appear in the Reports section of your Parent Portal and can be included in:
Academic Transcripts
End-of-Year Reports
Is it free to add?
Is it free to add?
Yes!
The Bring Your Own Novel (BYON) course is completely free for eligible students using the New Learning Platform.
Does BYON cover the same curriculum as standard English?
Does BYON cover the same curriculum as standard English?
Yes, identical curriculum codes for each grade, term, and lesson. Your child covers the same content, just with a different novel.
What about work samples for Reporting?
What about work samples for Reporting?
BYON will include dedicated assignments that can be used as work samples, just like those provided in the standard English course. While these assignments won't be available at launch, they are scheduled to be released in late July.
BYON will include dedicated assignments that can be used as work samples, just like those provided in the standard English course. While these assignments won't be available at launch, they are scheduled to be released in late July.
Does the Government Registration Service treat BYON differently?
Does the Government Registration Service treat BYON differently?
No.
The Government Registration Service does not treat Bring Your Own Novel (BYON) as a separate subject. BYON is simply an alternative version of the English course, so the existing English content included in your Individual Education Plan (IEP), along with the English guidance and prompts provided to parents, will continue to apply.
What novel should I choose? And does Euka need to approve it?
What novel should I choose? And does Euka need to approve it?
No, Euka does not need to approve your book choice.
To help you with making your choice, the Book List Guidance panel in the Student Portal provides guidance when selecting a novel in terms of what it should contain, the expected reading level and length to suit the student’s grade and term. It also provides a list of suggested novels.