1 February is World Read Aloud Day
All schools are encouraged to participate in the World Read Aloud Day today (1 February 2018).
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Blind SA Education encourages all schools to participate in the World Read Aloud Day today, 1 February 2018.
Almost 850 blind and partially sighted learners from 11 schools for the blind in the country will participate in the World Read Aloud Day, which will be hosted by Nal’ibali and Blind SA.
Blind SA published the “Final Minute” by Zukiswa Wanner in all 11 official languages in braille for these learners. The learners, from Grade 1 to Grade 7 will engage in individual reading, group reading and in a braille treasure hunt, as well as a discussion session, questions and answers, spelling and word search. Blind SA will provide learners with prizes and Nal’ibali will give the learners an audio book by Zukiswa Wanner.
The school with the highest percentage of learners participating in the World Read Aloud Day will receive the Tatrapoint Mechanical Brailler, imported by Blind SA for use in South Africa.
Susan Bam, chairperson of the Blind SA Education and ECD Committee said, “Blind SA believes strongly that all blind and partially sighted learners must have access to reading books in an accessible format”. She said, “Currently, apart from the Workbooks, our blind and partially sighted learners have very limited books in braille”. She added that Braille Services of Blind SA publishes braille, daisy and e-books.
Christo de Klerk, chairperson of Blind SA’s Braille Committee said they are also commemorating International Braille Day which was on 4 January and International Mother-Tongue Day which is on 21 February.
He added, “This is our way of encouraging the culture of reading by blind and partially sighted learners”.
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