THE world of reading was opened to learners at Walmer Primary School on March 18, during National Library Week.
In this initiative from the Shine Literacy Team, two bookcases of reference material for the staff room, and 34 boxes of books for classroom libraries were handed to the teachers and learners at school.
The Shine Literacy Chapter, under sponsorship of the Walmer Angels Project, has been part of the Grade 3 curriculum at school since 2013 and is fully endorsed by the Department of Education.
The purpose of the Shine Team, with its volunteers, is to encourage reading, writing and comprehension among the learners who are considered to be at risk for the Grade 4 transition into an English curriculum, with cultural subjects and exams.
Volunteers work for an hour a week with two learners throughout the year, building vocabulary, teaching grammar skills and getting their children used to the sound of the spoken English language through story reading. This programme has been postponed temporarily due to lockdown restrictions.
The Shine Team started a library at the centre, which accommodated 50 to 70 learners daily, with donated English books.
According to the Shine Literacy Chapter manager, Pat Hippert, before lockdown, of the 1 610 learners at the school, more than 900 belonged to the library, making reading a reality in their lives.
“Over the past year, the library has been closed and the teachers and learners have longed for its reopening,” Hippert said.
The initiative to take the books to the classes, instead, became the option. “A large variety of both fiction and non-fiction books have been divided between the 34 classes.
“Now each child will be challenged to take out a book, deliver an oral, give a simple overview, enjoy the picture content – books have such educational and entertaining qualities,” an excited Hippert said.
The staff room resource centre initiative came from the receipt of many sets of modern encyclopaedia and general knowledge books donated to the Shine and Masifunde teams.
Issued: Shine Literacy Chapter manager,
Pat Hippert
