POLOKWANE – In March, a national survey indicated that only about 30% of Gr 1-3 children are reading at grade level in their home language.
According to the ‘Progress in International Reading Literacy Study’ (PIRLS), 81% of Gr 4-learners cannot read with comprehension. International Literacy Day was celebrated in September, and in August, National Book Lover’s Day was commemorated.
Polokwane Review spoke to Gr 5-7 learners about why it is important to read and how reading helps them in their schoolwork.
They were also asked to give ideas on how to make children love reading.
Here’s what they said:
Gabriela Els
Gabriela Els (Gr 5, home school) I read to escape my schoolwork as it takes me away into a fantasy world. Reading helps with spelling, and I learn new words every day. If I do not understand a word, I get a dictionary and look it up. I think schools can encourage children to read by creating a cozy place where they can spend time reading a book they like. Another plan is to bring authors to talk to the children at school about their work.
Khumo Mashile
Khumo Mashile (Gr 6, Bet-Shalom Christian School): Reading is important because it helps you know about the world, not just what is in class. If you read a lot, you get good ideas, and you can do better in all subjects like natural sciences and history because you understand what you are reading. For me, reading helps me finish my work quickly because I can read and understand the questions. I think schools should bring more storybooks with pictures and funny stories, and sometimes we should also be asked which books we would love to read in class.
Angelina Kkoutas
Angelina Kkoutas (gr. 6, Oosskool): My ouers sê altyd vir my as jy kan lees, kan jy presteer. Lees is belangrik vir jou opvoeding en hou ook ons brein gesond en besig. Nie almal hou daarvan om te lees nie, maar jy kan dit vir jouself lekker maak. Ek geniet dit om boeke oor diere te lees en so meer van die diere te leer. Jy gaan beslis iets leer uit elke boek wat jy lees, so moenie op hou om te lees nie. Skole kan opwindende boeke, soos ons natuurwetenskapboek, kry aangesien dit baie prente en voorbeelde in het. Dit maak dit vir my maklik om te verstaan en dit bly opwindend.
Shalom Nana
Shalom Nana (Gr 6, Bet-Shalom Christian School): I think reading is important as it helps you learn new words and become smarter. When you read, you learn how to spell and how to write better sentences. It helps me with my schoolwork because when I read my textbooks I understand faster, and in English I can answer comprehension questions. Schools can make us love reading by having a nice library with interesting books and by giving us time to read every day, not just homework. They can also have reading competitions and prizes.
Oreratile Ramotshedisi
Oreratile Ramotshedisi (Gr 5, home school): I love reading as it has grown my vocabulary and helps me to master spelling difficult words. I have noticed that since I started taking reading seriously, I read faster and am able to understand texts quicker. It saves me a lot of time when doing school work.
