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Little minds rife with potential to grow into the most avid of readers – hundreds of preschoolers converged on the Arderne Gardens in Claremont on Wednesday 7 February, and dived headlong into a world of words on World Read Aloud Day (WRAD).
Organised by Claremont and Manenberg libraries, the little ones were from five educare centres – Little Lillies, Mustadafin Educare Centre, Strawberry Play Centre, Bumble Bee Educare and Manenberg Moravian Crèche – all invited to commemorate the occasion.
“We again chose to invite the same educare centres that formed part of the five-week reading programme run to mark National Literacy Month last September,” said Claremont’s assistant librarian Nuhaa Portland.
The library’s input forms part of the City’s greater library scheme to champion reading in partnership with Nal’ibali [a national reading-for-enjoyment initiative to get children and adults passionate about telling and reading]. The aim was to reach three million children across the country through the magic of reading stories aloud.
“It is important to read aloud to prevent a decline in literacy rates among children,” said Portland. “Besides promoting joy and connection, we also encourage children to become confident readers by reading aloud.”
And creating a memorable reading experience was the goal for children this WRAD.
“We do this by providing engaging stories and characters that children can relate to. Reading aloud encourages children to develop literacy skills and engage in meaningful conversation.”
Portland said other City partners such as the City’s Water and Sanitation, Urban Waste Management and Biodiversity public awareness teams were also invited.
“This was the perfect opportunity, not simply just to read some of these wonderful stories from Nal’ibali aloud, but to spend time with hardworking officials who agreed to share awareness of water conservation and keeping the environment clean. We were also joined by the City’s Biodiversity team to foster awareness of snakes that were specially arranged with necessary permits to entertain the little ones today.”
WRAD was founded by LIT World in 2010 as a celebration of reading aloud, community literacy and the importance of sharing stories.
Nal’ibali is the local driver of the project in South Africa, setting a national target each year. The City’s Library and Information Services (LIS) is one of the key partners. This year WRAD events were hosted by all the libraries across the city.
“One of our aims is to develop a culture of reading among our children and it starts with hearing stories being read out loud,” commented Patricia van der Ross, Mayco member for community services and health. “Listening to a story does more than take you on an adventure you have to imagine.
“Reading aloud develops listening skills, models the use of language and improves vocabulary and comprehension. It also motivates young children to read for themselves.”
Most City libraries offer storytelling sessions and in some suburbs, librarians go out to areas where young children are not able to visit the library on their own.
Van der Ross acknowledged that “finding time on our busy days to read aloud to our children can be a challenge.
“I want to encourage parents and caregivers to start this WRAD with one story. We often highlight the many benefits of reading to children and bonding with your child is only one. It’s an investment in their education and future, which only costs some of your time,” she concluded.
