Author: Siyolise Fikizolo

By Siyolise Fikizolo For millions of young South African learners, finding age-appropriate reading materials in their mother tongue remains a challenge. Now, a team of interdisciplinary researchers is working to change that by developing the first complete child-focused lexicon database for the country’s Nguni languages. Dr Tracy Bowles and Paige Cox, lecturers at Rhodes University; Dr Robyn Berghoff from Stellenbosch University; and Dr Zelalem Shibeshi, senior lecturer at Rhodes University, are behind this project. They aim to create an open-access database covering isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, and isiNdebele; languages that have received limited attention compared to English, Spanish, and German, which…

By Siyolise Fikizolo Many organisations in South Africa are racing to distribute more books to children but one Eastern Cape-based nonprofit says access to books alone will not bridge the early learning gap of the country. Mikhulu Trust says the solution lies in books without words. Karen Ross, representing the Mikhulu Trust at the Children’s Literature Conference at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature, made a compelling statement that the focus needs to shift from simply getting books into homes to ensuring those books actively support child development. We have organisations doing a fantastic work in getting books out there,…