Research shows that levels of interest in, and attitudes to reading, and the diversity of materials that learners’ read, are closely associated with performance. Children from the most deprived backgrounds perform better than those from more affluent homes if they enjoyed reading books or newspapers in their spare time.
Finding ways to engage students in reading may be one of the most effective ways to leverage social change. Aristotle touted bibliotherapy - using books to help people heal and solve problems - hundreds of years ago. Developing a culture of reading for pleasure or, at the very least, getting the nation reading, has multiple, long-term socio-economic and psychological benefits for South Africa.
‘Reading literacy’ is a term defined as understanding, using, and reflecting on written texts in order to achieve one’s goals, to develop one’s knowledge and potential, and to participate in society. So why is reading for pleasure such an anomaly in South Africa?
How to Begin Reading for Pleasure
Accessibility and literacy proficiency aside, one of the reasons for ‘aliteracy’ (being able to read but choosing not to) is the inability to choose a good book.
Everyone has their own style and preferences when renting a video at the video store, but some may feel too intimidated or ignorant in a bookstore or in a library if these are foreign territories. Conquering the fiction section is much easier than it seems.
Follow the Non-Reader’s Guide to Reading for Pleasure below to start reading for fun. Your life will be enriched:
Just because a book got published doesn't mean it's worth reading. Have confidence that a book must win you over, not the other way around. You don't have to give a book a chance if it's not sending the right signals. Don't let words like "Pulitzer Prize winner" or "Bestseller" influence your decision.
Judge a book by its cover. If it has a picture of a gavel and a gun on it and you hate shows like Boston Legal, put it back! Don't go overboard though. Just because the illustrator used your favorite colour for the title doesn't mean the contents are going to be more appealing
Read the front and back covers for a brief description, genre, plot summary or questions that pique your curiosity. Sometimes the plot summary will fill you up and you won't even need the author to feed you a bunch of irrelevant words and sentences between the covers
Skim a few pages to get the feel for the author's writing style. Is the pace fast or slow? Do you like fast or slow? Do you like pace? Do you have an attention span for elaborate description or would you rather just read dialogue and simple-minded narration? Is the language eloquent, colloquial, or just boringly logical? Is the author going to insult you with vanilla words or a three-volume thesaurus?
The author's choice of font is very helpful in making first impressions. "Courier New" may be a sign that the story wasn't long enough to be published in "Times New Roman." Also keep in mind that some authors send a much more powerful message in the "large print" section
Read the section about the author if it's included (usually in the back or on the inside back cover). This is the person who wrote the whole book! Don't be afraid to stereotype a little. You definitely want to know about the author before you let him or her poison you with subjective viewpoints.
Look at the publishing date of the book. Is it a new release? Or is it one of those with a faded cover that the bookstore forgot to take off the shelf?
Most importantly, how long is the book? Flip to the end and look at the page number. Don't forget to subtract sections like the prologue and foreword from the total number of pages to get an accurate count. How much time are you willing to devote to a single person's perspective?
The right book for the right reader at the right time. When selecting books for children, this should be a guiding principle. Note, however, that older children may occasionally enjoy a book intended for younger readers and this should not be discouraged. Books should equate with children’s actual literacy level, not the prescribed level
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This feature article is brought to you by READ Educational Trust.
READ Educational Trust is a South African-based NGO that operates in the education and literacy sectors broadly, and in teacher development and school resource provision specifically. Established in 1979, READ works alongside the Department of Education to implement teacher training and literacy projects in schools.
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In South Africa, many children learn to read and write in a second language making it more difficult to acquire literacy skills in the early stages of formal education. While national language policy is sound, the practice is questionable. It is clear that urgent interventions are required if our economy is to gain the necessary academic and social skills which only come through literacy.
Learners throughout the world who have access to books and who read regularly learn to read more easily and more quickly, keep improving their reading skills throughout their school years, perform better on language tests, are better writers, develop orality and literacy in a second language more easily, have better levels of reading comprehension, have a higher vocabulary, and have a better general knowledge. So how can we encourage reading and an enjoyment of reading?
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