Multilingual story supplementsBrowse our archive of Nal'ibali reading-for-enjoyment story supplements available in 10 language combinations.
Each year, Nal’ibali produces a story especially for World Read Aloud Day in all 12 official languages. We then call on adults throughout the country to join us in reading the story out loud to the children in their lives on World Read Aloud Day.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
The school year is almost over and soon it will be that time of year when most of us are able to spend more time than usual with family and friends. It’s time for that long-awaited end-of-year break. That time of year when we can all slow down a bit, relax, and spend time doing more of the things we enjoy.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
Schools are important places for literacy teaching, but they also have another important role to fulfil – to help inspire children to be lifelong readers! When a school believes in the power of reading for enjoyment, and it allows its children to experience this first-hand, it sparks in them an interest in reading and writing.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
Each year on International Literacy Day, 8 September, the world celebrates the role that reading and writing play in our lives. We also remember that there are many people around the world who can’t complete simple but important tasks, like filling in a form or reading the instructions on a medicine bottle, and who are never able to get lost in a novel. There are many reasons why people don’t learn to read and write, but this happens mainly because they don’t have what they need to learn − good resources and the right kind of help and inspiration!
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
Reading to your children helps them to discover the magic of books. If your children only read at school and when they do homework, they will learn to link reading with work and not with pleasure. When we read to our children every day, they learn that reading can be an enjoyable and entertaining activity.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
Research has consistently shown that children benefit greatly when fathers (or father figures) are actively involved with their children daily. They tend to do better at school, are happier, can build positive relationships with others, and have fewer negative behaviours. An important and natural way for fathers to bond with their children is to tell or read them stories and to show interest in their play, drawing, and writing activities.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
It's time to read aloud!
World Read Aloud Day is celebrated each year to encourage children, teenagers, and adults to share the power of words. It also reminds us that we all have the right to read, to write and to share our stories
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
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!
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
Fathers play an important role in the lives of their children. The father of a child is not necessarily the biological father but any person whom the child looks to and treats as a father. Children’s development is strengthened when their fathers are actively involved and interested in the wellbeing of their children and families. There is no “right” way for fathers to enrich to the lives of their children. They can still make a positive contribution even if they do not live with their children.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
Do you remember playing games with other children when you were a child? Did you love to sing songs or say rhymes? You likely had a lot of fun, and without realising it, you learnt new ideas and skills. All children need plenty of opportunities to play. Playing feeds their imaginations and develops their problem-solving, social and language skills. These skills help children become resilient, well-adjusted problem-solvers.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
isiNdebele/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
Reading together is an effective way for parents and their babies to bond and get to know each other. Reading together also develops the baby’s or toddler’s brain and prepares their minds to have big thoughts and ideas to help them succeed in the world!
Afrikaans/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF
People tell stories to explore ideas and to make sense of the world around them. Some of the stories we tell today have been passed down over many generations, while others are new ones that we create ourselves. Telling stories to your children is fun and satisfying for everyone. It also shows your children that you value spending this happy time with them.
Afrikaans/English: PDF
Sepedi/English: PDF
Siswati/English: PDF
Sesotho/ English: PDF
Tshivenda/English: PDF
Xitsonga/English: PDF
Setswana/ English: PDF
isiXhosa/English: PDF
isiZulu/English: PDF