Read to someone this World Read Aloud day
On 5 February, World Read Aloud day is celebrated across the world to emphasise the importance of reading.
In a country where sixty percent of homes have no books in them and eight out of 10 children cannot read for meaning, reading should be a national priority. As part of World Read Aloud day, it is important that we grow a culture of reading, whether it is through parents reading to their children, children reading to each other, volunteers reading to the elderly, or simply community groups getting together and sharing stories. The aim is to get every person in each community reading.
The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, through its Library service and the YearBeyond youth who are working in libraries to support a culture of reading, is working to make a difference through our public libraries. With 376 public libraries across the Western Cape, and YearBeyond youth working in 240 of these libraries, we are proud to support a culture of literacy, learning, and storytelling in our communities.
We look forward to welcoming the Deputy Minister in the Presidency on a visit to Delft Public Library tomorrow, where they will also be able to see the work being done in encouraging a culture of reading in our province.
Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie, said, “It is crucial that we encourage more of our youth to take up reading, as it improves concentration and memory, grows vocabulary and widens their field of knowledge. Reading has many benefits, including equipping young people with knowledge and skills that will help them take their next steps into the working world. I want to call on everyone in our communities to take up the call to read aloud to someone on World Read Aloud day, but also to continue reading every single day.”
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Tania Colyn
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