ActionSA launches reading programme for the year
“Recent headlines suggest that 82% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in South Africa today, which means that eight out of 10 children in Grade 4 and beyond will struggle to study and pass exams."
The launch of Reading with ActionSA was abuzz this past Saturday with over 70 preschool children, their parents, caregivers, teachers and community members.
The launch was held at the Maggy Otsile daycare centre in Tshwane, Mabopane.
Founding member and programme director Councillor Kholofelo Morodi, who has a passion for reading, said she was thrilled to bring the Reading with ActionSA programme to what she referred to as an “under-resourced community”.
“Recent headlines suggest that 82% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in South Africa today, which means that eight out of 10 children in Grade 4 and beyond will struggle to study and pass exams,” Morodi said.
Councillor Flora Monama, a co-founder of the programme, described Saturday’s event as a huge success.
Two preschool teachers were identified to participate in Reading with ActionSA’s literacy training programme, which meant that they would be expected to start with their one-year internship training in April of 2023.
At the same time, another co-founder and councillor in the metro municipality councillor Henriette Frohlich said they wanted to set up a buddy reading centre in all seven regions of the city and multiply them from there onwards.
“This is the third site we have identified, and we look forward to empowering these teachers with the knowledge that will impact directly onto each child’s ability to read in this day-care centre,” Frohlich added.
The day was not all about reading, the organisers of the event also planned various activities for the children such as puppet shows, painting, hula hoops, tyre races, relays and scooter racing. Each child got to go home with a book and a bag of goodies.
The programme organisers told Rekord that they hoped to start a mobile library, which will bring children’s books to each community.
The organisers also urged residents to donate books, adding that all those who sought more information about the programme should contact them at readingwithactionsa@gmail.com.
According to the co-founders, the programme was brought to life with the assistance of members of ActionSA Tshwane’s regional executive committee and ActionSA Tshwane caucus.
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