Nal\u2019ibali, a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign, is again calling on all South Africans to read aloud to the children in their lives on World Read Aloud Day (WRAD), Wednesday 1 February. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campaign has provided a free, special story for children to celebrate the day for more than a decade \u2013 and 2023 is no different. For some, the day may be the first, important step to habitual reading while for others it will be a continuation of their reading journey. This WRAD, Nal\u2019ibali aims to reach their goal of reading aloud to 3 million children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year\u2019s custom-written story is by well-known children\u2019s author Tumisang Shongwe, and is called \u201cEvery day\u2019s a story\u201d<\/i>. It is available on the Nal\u2019ibali website and is free to download in all 11 official South African languages as well as in braille. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Explained Ben Rycroft, head of communications and content at Nal\u2019ibali: \u201cWhile this year\u2019s WRAD campaign will again focus nationally on encouraging families to pledge to read aloud, there will be a strong community outreach component, brought to life by our community projects that have a strong home visit focus. As always, this will be a collaborative effort with the Department of Basic Education, the National Education Collaboration Trust and other key partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo add to the excitement, this WRAD event is going to be truly global. Nal\u2019ibali has been invited by LitWorld, an international non-profit that strengthens children and communities through the power of stories, and Scholastic, the children\u2019s publisher and the free Storyvoice app, to participate in a worldwide WRAD-a-thon. Shongwe will join international award winning authors and reading advocates between 08:00 and 08:30 to host a series of live interactive read-aloud shows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Why reading aloud?<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are so many benefits to reading aloud to young children \u2013 and babies \u2013 and reading a story aloud together,\u201d Rycroft pointed out. \u201cMost importantly, parents and caregivers need to understand the connection between reading and storytelling and a child\u2019s future success. Young children who are read to in languages they understand, perform better in school, develop better memories, stronger vocabularies and comprehension skills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you enjoy a story with your children every day, it: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 shows them that you value books and understand the importance of reading; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 shows them that reading is an enjoyable and rewarding activity;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 shows them how books work;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 gives you things to talk about as a family;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 builds a strong bond between you; and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 allows them to enjoy stories they can\u2019t yet read on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The importance of reading cannot be stressed enough. After all, \u201creading is the gateway for children that makes all other learning possible\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Impact of stories at home, school and in the community<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reading underpins all school learning; a child who can read with confidence is able to perform better in all school subjects. Understanding the questions in a science exam or instructions for a maths project is only possible when a child can read for meaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beauty of stories is that they can be shared anytime, anywhere. Building a story routine in the home helps children adopt the habit of reading \u2013 and it\u2019s fun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, wherever children and caregivers find themselves on 1 February, Nal\u2019ibali is encouraging them to start or keep going with their reading routine, using the special story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Supporting a continued literacy journey<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who pledge to read the WRAD story as a family can sign up for Nal\u2019ibali\u2019s ongoing family reading journey. This means they\u2019ll receive regular stories, news and literacy tips throughout the year, making it easy to keep up the habit of reading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Story cards of \u201cEvery day\u2019s a story\u201d<\/i> are available on the Nal\u2019ibali website in all 11 official languages. To ensure children benefit from the simple power of stories and join in the nationwide celebration, there is a short guide for caregivers on how to share the official WRAD story with young children. The guide is also available on the website in seven official languages. <\/b>\n<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the pledges, story cards, regional activities and events, Nal\u2019ibali will also issue a 16-page edition of its bilingual reading-for-enjoyment newspaper supplement, which will contain the special story.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n How to get involved?<\/b>\n<\/p>\n
Visit www.nalibali.org\/wrad2023 or WhatsApp \u201cWRAD\u201d to 060 044 2254 to make your pledge and get the free official story in your language. Share pictures of your read-aloud sessions online using the hashtag #MyWRAD2023.<\/p>\n
To participate in the global WRAD-a-thon go to www.litword.org\/worldreadalouday or www.scholasticcom\/worldreadaloudday.<\/p><\/b>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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