Twelve sets of colourful early-learning readers were handed over to the Amaoti No.3 Secondary High School recently as part of the Domino Foundation’s RITE Reader’s Project.
Each of these sets consisted of 10 books, with the aim to tackle the literacy crisis in South Africa.
Based at the school, Domino Foundation’s Literacy Champion, Dudu Dladla said that over 200 grade 8 to 10 learners attend her small group sessions as they face literacy challenges. Additionally, she said that the relevant and ability-appropriate readers will help build confidence and ability.
Dladla said, “I love being the Literacy Champion. I am laying a foundation for the learners and teaching them to be confident and to attack words without being afraid.”
Jeanine Weyer, who works with the RITE Reader’s Project, said that the programme is aimed towards basic literacy. She added, “Reading must be an opportunity to grow, imagine, dream for a future and must not be a torturous grind. The project is making a difference to the prospects of children in underserved communities.”
Weyer further explained that the readers can be used in a variety of ways and in small groups of four Children follow along while their teacher reads or take turns reading aloud.
“We have had 154 000 illustrated readers printed to stimulate excitement in the children and a desire to read the stories. We have already distributed RITE readers to a thousand Grade R teachers around the country, 100 000 books have been donated to schools and now we are aiming for the next 100 000,” Weyer concluded.
