Our Story, Your Story: Finding meaning
Lisa Cohen is a storyteller, facilitator, children’s story author, programme developer, early childhood development advocate and creativity sparker. She is currently the portfolio manager of parenting programmes at Ilifa Labantwana, and programme manager for the Our Story, Your Story project with Clowns Without Borders, South Africa. Lisa speaks about her own journey with stories and its personal and political meaning:
Story-time with my dad was my…
Mark my words: Literacy through culture
When we speak or write to each other in the same language, it’s easy to assume that we share the same understandings. Yet we also know that it’s quite possible to ‘miss’ one another – both as we speak, and when we read what someone else has written. In face-to-face communication, because we are there on the spot, we have a relatively good chance…
The little boy: A story for the teacher in all of us
This story was inspired by the work of the late Patrick Whitaker, a wonderful educator; Sara Stanley, an inspirational early-years practitioner; and renowned American kindergarten teacher Vivian Paley, now retired.
Once there was a little boy who started school. Each day his teacher would tell him stories. He loved the stories – stories about dragons and princes, about giants and hyenas, witches and fairies. Stories…
The power and point of reading aloud
Dr Carole Bloch is the director of The Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA), which is driving the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign. Her own experience of reading is one that brought her to where she is now:
My favourite time all the way through school was at the end of a day, when our English teacher would say, “Put everything away,…
World Read Aloud Day 2016: The Ultimate Story Power Moment
In 2014, South Africans helped us read aloud to 50 000 children. In 2015, you helped us reach 166 360 children. And in 2016, thanks to parents, teachers, librarians, family members and hundreds of readers, we read to 365 849 children – more than double our previous number and an astounding record for Nal’ibali and South Africa!
The power in partners
This year, we joined forces with the…
Adults as reading role models
Smangele Mathebula is the Nal’ibali Campaign Driver and a literary activist who enjoys sharing her love of reading through the giving of books. She speaks to us about how adults become children’s immediate reading role models:
Emilie Buchwald says, ‘Children are made readers on the laps of their parents’, and this couldn’t have greater significance in my reading universe. Adults are often great mirrors to…
Once upon a time’ with Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Once upon a time. These are the four words that have forever changed the way I see the world. They were the doorway to an unseen and unknown world for me, taking me on a different adventure every time I lifted up a book; an experience that did not cost me a thing. Indeed, I could travel the world at a flip of a…
Our Story, Your Story: Finding meaning
Lisa Cohen is a storyteller, facilitator, children’s story author, programme developer, early childhood development advocate and creativity sparker. She is currently the Portfolio Manager of Parenting Programmes at Ilifa Labantwana and Programme Manager for the Our Story, Your Story Project with Clowns Without Borders South Africa. Lisa speaks about her own journey with stories and its personal and political meaning:
Story-time with my dad was my…
Video: Nal’ibali calls for more mother tongue books this Mother Languages Day
Highlighting the critical lack of books available in all African languages to children in South Africa, Nal’ibali, the national reading-for-enjoyment campaign, has produced a powerful public service announcement that illustrates the breakdown of books available per language and calls for support for African language reading materials for children. The video has been developed in recognition of International Mother Languages Day on Sunday, 21 February.
“All…
Julia Donaldson visits Nal’ibali
International children’s author and 2011-2013 UK Children’s Laureate, Julia Donaldson, treated children from Nal’ibali’s Grow Smart reading club in Philippi to a special reading on Saturday 06 February 2016. The visit forms part of Donaldson’s trip to South Africa where she will be performing in a number of theatre shows based on a variety of her books including her award winning book, The Gruffalo, and What…
