Raising Superheroes Through Reading, in 2018
In a country of great contrasts and diversity, in which the future seems filled with uncertainty, our focus should be on empowering our young people at all costs.
What better way to do so, than with helping them discover facts about their world, and most importantly, about themselves, through that one little gift we should be passing on from generation to generation; from child to child: the gift of reading.
For nearly 40 years, READ Educational Trust has focused on promoting literacy across South Africa. This is achieved through various programmes, with Readathon being READ’s pride and joy. In conjunction with National Literacy Month, held in September, READ is excited to unveil the fifth Readathon Red Reading Box; an invaluable tool to encourage reading amongst a broad cross-section of learners.
Each Red Reading Box has had a fascinating theme, and this year’s is no different. The ‘Finding Facts’ box is visually appealing with its ‘Superpower’ look and feel. It is designed to help children discover their special skills through a fact-finding mission which begins and ends with reading. Children are taught that reading is their superpower … it’s the key to unlocking facts about the world around them, about what interests them, and about what they are good at!
In the 2018 Red Reading Box you’ll find a ‘Finding Facts Magazine’ – a place to find out about our ancestors, our family, our country and our culture. The ‘Superhero Journal’ is a journey of self-discovery, and ‘Everyday Heroes’ is a book filled with stories about children similar to the readers. The ‘Finding Facts Cut-Outs’ book contain instructions for all the games in the box, as well as fun cut-outs. Games include a ‘Flags of Africa’ game, ‘Word Power Playing Cards’ and more.
While we’re on the topic of facts, a heartening statistic is that 12 000 children have been reached through Red Reading Boxes over the past four years. The Pizza Hut Initiative in support of the Africa Literacy Project, distributed an additional 2 500 this past year, and READ aims to distribute 3 000 new Red Reading Boxes this year.
An additional Literacy Month activity saw the new Box being launched at Boepakitso Primary School in Soweto, on Friday 7 September. Children were delighted to explore the boxes and their contents, and were even more thrilled with the donation of several Red Reading Boxes for their school.
Educators and parents are urged to purchase a Readathon Red Reading Box for only R255. Every cent of the profits is ploughed back into promoting literacy in disadvantaged communities across South Africa.
To find out more, visit www.read.org.za or purchase your Readathon Red Reading Box directly from the READ Online Shop.
