By Mbali Tanana and Luvuyo Mjekula
Over 100 learners were treated to a lively book reading where book characters came alive at the launch of National Book week at St Mary’s Development and Care Centre this week.
South Africa commemorates National Book Week from 5 to 11 September annually and uses this period to advocate for reading and booking awareness.
Brendan Williams, a literacy programme co-ordinator at the care centre, had the St Mary’s Primary School children in stitches reading to them clad in a black tutu skirt, a black hat, waving a black wand to emulate a black witch.
Williams said while they celebrated the event annually, they ran a series of programmes throughout the year to ensure that the children established healthy relationships with books.
“National Book Week is an important initiative in encouraging the nation to value reading as a fun and pleasurable activity and to showcase how reading can easily be incorporated into one’s daily lifestyle. We want to enhance reading, and we are teaching our kids to read for meaning, to read with comprehension and to read for engagement,” he said.
St Mary’s Primary learners expressed their excitement to have access to over 1000 books that are available at the centre for them to use daily.
Grade 4 learner Skyla Elliot, 9, said he was an avid reader and enjoyed the frequent trips to the centre.
“Here we have a variety of books to choose from and we get to read and learn about different things, so I am always happy to be here. I know reading makes me smarter, it helps me improve my speech, spelling and my vocabulary. Yes, sometimes I struggle with the big words I come across, but with practice I get better,” said Elliot.
Grade 5 learner Lingomso Ngoqo, 11, said she enjoyed reading out loud and was often asked to read to her class mates.
“I used to be shy about reading to a lot of people, but now I enjoy it and it has really helped me with my confidence and speaking in public. I enjoy reading and the people here at the centre make it a very fun experience for us,” she said.
Williams said the children at the school had improved their reading and are as a result, up to the average standard grade level of 50 to 60 words per minute.
“Our programmes are aligned to that of Nali’bali – which also sources us with reading material regularly. We try very hard to keep the centre resourced and the kids exposed to the world of reading – the world of books. We want them to love reading and to know how to look after and respect books so we can keep them for future generations,” he said.
In an inspirational twist on day three of the event, the DCC children welcomed famous young author Ezekiel Jewell to the centre. Ezekiel is an author who started writing a collection of stories at the age of five years old.
He shared one of his stories and four children from the DCC were given a chance to ask questions based on his inspiration of writing. Ezekiel motivated the children and said: “Be consistent in what you do. Love reading and do your best.”
Each child from the DCC were given a free book to read at home as motivation to love reading.
The centre managers thanked Nicky Green from Rhodes CSD for sponsoring the centre’s children with books.
Ezekiel ended the book week by signing all of his books that will be kept at the DCC library and that would serve as insiparion to the children, the centre’s team said.
