Nal'ibali
Taking home story cards with 'A gold star and a kiss for Thoko' by Niki Daly in English and Xhosa
Each year, we celebrate World Read Aloud Day to advocate children’s right to read and write. This World Read Aloud Day, March 6, the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign is calling on parents, caregivers, teachers, librarians, big brothers and sisters to read aloud the same story on the same day – and help create a read-aloud record to recognise the power of reading aloud for children’s literacy development.
According to the National Academy of Education and the National Institute of Education: “The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”
In support of the initiative, award-winning author Niki Daly has written and illustrated a special story for all to share on March 6. Download or read ‘A gold star and a kiss for Thoko’ (available in Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi and Sesotho at www.nalibali.org or www.nalibali.mobi) and then sign up to let us know how many children you read aloud to!
5 More Good Reasons to Read Aloud
1. Reading aloud to your children helps to develop the bond between a parent and child.
2. When you read aloud to children and they enjoy the story, they see reading as a satisfying activity and this helps to motivate them to read for themselves.
3. Reading aloud to young children shows them how we read and how books work. This knowledge makes it much easier for them to learn to read later on.
4. Children are able to understand and enjoy stories that are beyond their own reading ability when they hear them read aloud.
5. Hearing new words used in a story develops a child’s vocabulary and gives them a rich language to draw from when they write their own stories.
Get your full Nal’ibali World Read Aloud Day kit at www.nalibali.org with your special read-aloud story, story activities, and a special cut-and-keep badge for your children to enjoy!
