GRADE 6 and 7 learners across Durban put their literacy skills to the test in the Phendulani Literacy Quiz held at Manor Gardens Primary School on 8 October.
The quiz, sponsored by The Times newspaper, combines the distribution of fiction books into under-resourced primary schools to help teachers and learners develop literacy in a fun and enjoyable way.
The eventual winners of the quiz were two teams from Charles Hugo Primary School who took first and second place respectively. Addington Primary School finished in third place.
Nearly 1000 books were sponsored in total by publishers, Exclusive Books and The Times newspaper for the Phendulani Literacy Quiz, ranging from titles that include The Little Mermaid, Twenty Heartbeats, The Lorax and The White Giraffe to name a few.
Learners, who had been enthusiastically preparing since April this year, were tested on material extracted from the 23 books donated to them. Durban regional co-ordinator, Isobel Isobey, a teacher at Manor Gardens Primary School, ran the quiz.
There were prizes at the end of each round of the quiz, as well as spot prizes for being able to answer individual questions between the rounds. Every child who participated in the quiz received a certificate and the winners in the top three were given a book prize sponsored by Exclusive Books.
Marj Brown, a teacher at the Roedean Girls’ Senior School in Johannesburg and founder of the quiz said: “I cannot describe how excited these children get – the schools they are from either do not have libraries at all or precious few books. I see enormous potential in the quiz as an incentive to read, but also in its ability to enhance intercultural competence – something our country desperately needs.”
