To lend a helping hand in improving the reading abilities of children, Mogale City Library Services will take the Born To Read programme to the community of Kromdraai by paying special attention to expecting and new mothers as well as early childhood development centres.
Intended to encourage mothers to introduce the culture of reading to their children while still in the womb, the programme also aims to promote early childhood literacy and language development, while helping new parents understand their critical role as their child’s first and most important teacher. Mogale City senior librarian Tania Kgoale explained how this practice helps children adopt the culture of reading even after birth.
In May 2023, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which assesses reading comprehension and monitors trends and indicators of growth in reading literacy, released its 2021 results which revealed that 81% of South Africa’s Grade Four children could not read for meaning in any language, almost the same proportion as in 2011.
The child literacy rate observed by PIRLS in 2011 was 82% and 78 per cent in 2016. This therefore suggested that 8 out of 10 children struggle to understand written text in any of South Africa’s 11 official languages.
“It matters not how old your child is, but the sooner you start teaching them to read the better. Education is key and we must start believing in our children’s future,” Kgoale added.
