World Read Aloud Day 2016

When someone reads aloud, they raise you to the level of the book.
They give you reading as a gift.
Daniel Pennac, The Rights of the Reader*

On Tuesday 15 March during the National Library Week members of LIASA (the national professional body for librarians) from University of Pretoria, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and Sabinet celebrated the World Read Aloud Day with us.

These book and children loving librarians read stories to the grade R and grade 1 classes, handed out easter eggs and juice to the entire school and donated six brand new Sepedi story books for our library project (more about this later). It was a fun day which reminded us of how reading can be “the ordinary magic that can change a child’s future” https://youtu.be/7NLtSvta3g8.

We are planning a programme with these colleagues for the winter school holidays.

                          

Nal’ibali, as usual, encouraged schools, libraries, book clubs, parents, other family members, book lovers and celebrities to participate in this annual event. No fewer than
365 849 South African children were signed up. http://nalibali.org/news-blog/literacy-issues/world-read-aloud-day-2016-the-ultimate-story-power-moment.

*Read Carole Bloch’s article Why listening to stories is part of learning to read at http://dgmt.co.za/why-listening-to-stories-is-part-of-learning-to-read/

The matric class of 2026

Recently I was watching adv. Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s much admired Public Protector, in a talk show. So the host asked her about her siblings and made the remark

Adv. Thuli Madonsela Photo: Network24

“… but you were the brainy one …” to which she responded “No, they were as clever but I read more”.

It was wonderful confirmation from such a successful high profile person of the power of words, of books, of reading. It confirmed to me that one of the greatest gifts a child can get is a love of reading combined with the ability to read well. We are indeed doing the right thing and with the help of the Click Foundation and Reading Eggs we are also doing it well. As we say in Afrikaans Ons doen die regte ding reg.

At the Leeuwfontein School we now have 55 Grade 2 and 60 Grade 1 learners who keep us busy from eight in the morning till two in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Francis Ledwaba joined us permanently and on Tuesdays. Lala-Marie Human joins us for the morning session. We will be paying particular attention to the reading of the Grade 2s this year.

       

At the Kameeldrift Early Learning Centre Jaqueline is on her own with the 14 Grade R learners on Mondays and Wednesdays.

On Friday 12 February Carrene Paiken of the Click Foundation paid a visit to the Leeuwfontein School to discuss future plans with the principal.

Last week Wednesday was World Read Aloud Day. Although we did not have time for a celebration we were able to send the Grade 2s home with Nal’ibali’s beautiful newspaper supplement with the WROD story Neo and the big, wide world / Neo le lefase le legolo, le lephare, in Sepedi and English. In January, when the new school year kicked off, a columnist in one of the newspapers described her daughter’s first school day as the start of her career. This made me think about the kids who have been with us these past two years. They will write matric in 2026. Will their names be in the paper and will I still be around to read it? Will they pass with distinctions? Will they be able to go to university and have the means to do so? Which careers will they follow in their adult lives? Last year we asked them what they want to do when they are big. We will repeat it in the middle of the year and I will then write about it.