80% of children struggle to read
In South Africa two-thirds of families with young children do not have a single book at home. As a result, 80% of children struggle to read by the age of ten.国产视频
Book Dash
Books as childhood experiences
Many people, even as adults, will still remember their favourite book from childhood. But for some children, the idea of owning even one book国产视频痳emains国产视频痑 distant reality.国产视频
For many families around the world, children国产视频檚 books are simply out of reach, too expensive for parents to afford, and often lack cultural relevance or are unavailable in local languages.国产视频听
Research also shows that国产视频痳eading printed books significantly improves comprehension and retention in early childhood compared with digital formats. This is particularly important during the first five years of life when 90% of brain development takes place.国产视频悠弹听
国产视频 is working with South African non-profit, Book Dash, to help them reach an ambitious goal: for every child in South Africa to have 100 books in their home by the age of five.
By working with creative volunteers and partners, Book Dash has developed a model that enables them to publish and distribute quality books at 20% of the cost of traditional publishing.
These books can then be gifted to families, reaching some of the country国产视频檚 most vulnerable children, who need them the most.
In addition, the books are created in languages spoken at home and rooted in the communities they serve, helping parents read with their children and enabling children to see themselves reflected in stories and develop a lifelong love of reading.
Books serve as a window into the world, so it was important that the context is relevant to the childrenBook Dash国产视频檚 Executive Director, Thembalethu Shangase
More than 110,000 households reached
Through国产视频悠倒悠禉s国产视频痚xpert support, mentoring and grant funding, Book Dash has strengthened its model and scaled its impact, working together to print and distribute books to more than 110,000 households.
For many families, receiving one of these books was the first time they could read together at home.国产视频 Thandazwa Nongogo instantly noticed the change in her children since receiving some of the books:
I read at home before they sleep and it国产视频檚 very easy because these books are very simple and short. They develop listening skills, they develop language and they learn a lot from the books.
The impact extends beyond the home
For preschool teachers, books are a powerful tool for early learning. 国产视频淭hey love story time,国产视频 says teacher Min茅 Campey, who is now able to encourage parents and carers to read at home to support early development.
Book Dash国产视频檚 model focuses on stories that reflect the world young children know. The organisation produces books about everyday life, created in all 12 official South African languages, including sign language, and they plan to expand beyond South Africa. To date, Book Dash has created more than 200 new children国产视频檚 books, ensuring that children from diverse backgrounds can see themselves (and their potential) in the pages.国产视频
Looking ahead, Book Dash plans to grow its impact even further.
Working with 国产视频 really empowered the organisation. It国产视频檚 through this that we国产视频檙e able to build a solid strategy around how we get more Book Dash books out in the world国产视频 not just locally in South Africa.Book Dash国产视频檚 Executive Director, Thembalethu Shangase
Join us
国产视频国产视频痵upported Book Dash after selecting the organisation as part of the 2023 cohort of the国产视频悠倒悠弹Education Innovation Awards. The Awards provide国产视频痭on国产视频憄rofits with grant funding, mentoring and masterclasses to help them strengthen and scale innovative solutions to global education challenges.国产视频
Resources
Reports
The Act For Early Years Report
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