Multilingual Story Supplements

Some environments are print-rich. In these environments, print is used and displayed for different purposes – signs, notices, advertisements, magazines, newspapers, books, timetables, posters, letters, cards, etc. They may be in one language, or two or more languages. Other environments have very little print. Even others have none at all. It is easier for children to learn to read and write in an environment with lots of print because it shows them what reading and writing can be used for. Here are some ideas for how to make your reading club’s meeting place a print-rich environment.

23 April is World Book Day! Reading lots of books helps to make children better readers. For your children to keep reading throughout their lives, they must want to read! If we want to get our children reading and then keep them reading, we need to understand what motivates them to read.

Some children can sit still for a long bedtime story, while others get restless. Some children take to books immediately, and others need more encouragement. This is entirely normal. Each child is different, and what they enjoy changes vastly as they grow older.

It's storytelling time!! People have told stories for centuries to explore ideas and make sense of their experiences. Sharing stories is as natural to human beings as eating and sleeping! Some of the stories we tell today have been passed down from generation to generation, while others are new ones that we create ourselves.

It's time to read aloud!

In this October edition, we would like to say a special THANK YOU! to all the teachers in South Africa for their contributions in educating and mentoring our precious children to face their future with confidence and understanding.

If you believe that your children will become successful readers and writers, and you let them know this, they will also believe that they can be successful readers and writers. This holiday season, take the time to tell them stories and to read and write with them, and they will experience the ways in which literacy can be satisfying and useful.

This is a very special edition of the Nal’ibali Supplement – it’s the 200th edition and we’re celebrating Literacy Month! Literacy Month is celebrated by people from all over the world who are passionate about reading and writing. Every year, during this month, Nal’ibali makes a special effort in our country to raise awareness of how reading to and writing with children supports their literacy development.

We write to get things done and to communicate with one another. It is like cooking − the more you do it, the better you become at it and the easier it becomes for you! As parents and caregivers, we need to lead by example to show the power and purpose of writing in our daily lives with our children.

Making time to read to the children in your life is an investment in their future, no matter how old they are. This time to bond shows children that you enjoy their company and care about them while building lifelong good memories of stories, books and reading!