National Book Week, which takes place from 2 to 8 September, has started a campaign to encourage reading among South Africans.
Since reading is a lifetime skill that is normally taught to children at a tender age, well before adulthood, the Northsider caught up with a school librarian whose job is to teach basic literature on a daily basis to little ones at Trinityhouse Little Falls Pre-primary School.
The librarian and isiZulu teacher, Debra Sigauke, explained the importance of nurturing children into reading. “Reading at a young age teaches children incidental reading, a concept that we use to show them how to read, for example telling them a book is read from left to right. We also use books with pictures so that they can be easily interpreted by the learners especially the young ones who cannot read properly”.
She added that during her sessions she allows learners to pick their own books (judging from the covers) and also encourages parents to spend time reading the selected books with their children at home.
She also said that she concludes each day with her learners by doing a story session where she reads a particular story book to the learners.
“Reading to them helps with their vocabulary and their understanding of their surrounding, and enables them to socialise and interact with other people better,” she said.
