Lantana Primary School in Lentegeur participated in World Read Aloud Day, celebrating the initiative across two days, during which they read to all their pupils on the respective days. The stories were read aloud by teachers and acted out by pupils.
World Read Aloud Day is held to foster a culture of reading aloud with children and was celebrated on Wednesday February 2 worldwide.
The school celebrated the day on Thursday February 3 and Friday February 4.
The Plainsman visited the school where the pupils and teachers went all out to read aloud and depict stories to the pupils with a live illustration of the stories that were read.
Principal Venessa Berry said this day was very special and important to her pupils.
“Every child must be a reader. We are happy to see various organisations celebrating this day with us too. This day is to build community, cultivate a love for writing and equip our children with the necessary skills,” said Ms Berry.
“I love reading. Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers. We need to have a changed mindset to be capable and able of reading and embrace it,” she said.
And, she said, reading aloud also builds confidence.
“Our work is challenging at times, serving a poor community. The return of 100% capacity in schools; we’re more aware of the academic gaps. As a staff we’ve unpacked this as a huge task and teachers embrace this task. We’re more than ready,” said Ms Berry.
For children to master what is required of them, she added, they must have good writing skills and reading, to help them progress in education.
During assembly, teacher Shahiema Jephta taught the pupils how a book should be read and how it should be treated, focusing on how to handle the spine and pages – and having fun when reading.
She then read the story of The Billy Goats Gruff to the pupils with four pupils depicting the story to them.
Guest reader and retired teacher, Terrosita Chee Mee, read to the pupils. She depicted a story and called up some of the pupils to play in a band. The children were very attentive while Ms Chee Mee read and even sang to them.
Pupil Kaylee Kingsley said she loves reading.
“Reading is fun. I didn’t know there was a day set out to read aloud, but I enjoyed all the stories told on the day. I would encourage others to read too,” she said.
Pupil Vimbainashe Chidavarume sang the nursery rhyme, I’m a Little Teapot. She said she loved singing the song out loud in English to her fellow pupils and that she loves reading too.