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Reading for Meaning

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Most of us read without even thinking about it – WhatsApp messages, road signs, food labels. It’s a skill so ingrained that we forget it’s something we once had to learn. But for millions of South African children, reading isn’t effortless. In fact, 81% of children in South Africa can’t read for meaning by the end of Grade 4 (10 years old). That figure is really alarming, and demonstrates the crisis in early education. 

I take for granted every day that I can read, but in 2019, an estimated 4.4 million South African adults were deemed illiterate. For children growing up in under-resourced communities, the odds are stacked against them from the start. In many primary schools in South Africa, “reading instruction often focuses solely on oral performance, neglecting reading comprehension and making sense of written words” (BBC, 2023). Without comprehension, reading becomes little more than a mechanical exercise, and this is why South Africa ranked in last place out of the 57 countries assessed in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study in 2021.

This is where Book Village steps in. We are an NPC on a mission to change this reality, one child at a time. Book Village provides low-income schools with digital reading infrastructure and one-on-one support with volunteers from all walks of life. Our focus is simple: enabling children to read for meaning and enjoyment.

So, what exactly is the difference between reading and reading for meaning?

Reading typically refers to the ability to decode text: sounding out letters and syllables, recognising and pronouncing words correctly, and reading sentences fluently out loud. These skills are all vital to being able to read for meaning, but prioritising these skills alone can lead to children missing out on understanding what they are reading.

Reading for meaning is where actual comprehension comes in. It means that a child can do all of the above, as well as understand the meaning of the words, make sense of them in context, be able to connect ideas across sentences and infer meaning, even if it isn’t directly stated. Children should also be able to ask questions and form opinions about what they have read, and predict what could come next.

Take the sentence: “The dog ran to the gate.” A child might be able to read this aloud perfectly, but do they understand why the dog ran? What a gate is? What role the sentence plays in the wider story? A child who can read for meaning might say, “The dog ran to the gate because its owner was calling it home.” They have the ability to move beyond the words themselves and understand the story they tell.

This skill is critical. Children who can’t read for meaning by age 10 are far more likely to fall behind in school, repeat grades, and ultimately drop out. Over time, poor literacy can lead to long-term economic hardship and reduced life opportunities.

That’s why early support is everything. By offering one-on-one reading time with caring adults and providing access to books and digital tools, Book Village helps children build confidence and connection, both of which are essential to learning.

We don’t just want children to read. We want them to understand, question, wonder and – most importantly – enjoy reading. Because when a child reads for meaning, they’re not just learning how to read – they’re learning how to learn.

~ Written by Eleanor Payne

How One-On-One Attention Changes Everything

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Children don’t just learn from instruction, they learn through connection. In the earliest stages of development, it’s often the relationships children form that shape how they learn, how they see themselves, and how confidently they approach the world around them. The simple act of being seen, heard and supported can make all the difference in a child’s learning journey. That’s why over at Book Village, we have built a programme designed to give every child the time, care and encouragement they deserve. We believe that one-on-one attention isn’t just a nice extra – it’s foundational.

In overcrowded classrooms, it’s impossible to give every child the personalised support they need to thrive. Teachers work tirelessly, often juggling different language backgrounds, learning levels, and limited resources. But when class sizes are that large, even the most dedicated educators can’t reach every child, every day. Children with learning challenges often fall behind quietly, becoming what we call “invisible readers” — learners who sit in the back, never raising their hand, slipping through the cracks simply because no one has the time to ask, “What do you think?” 

That is where Book Village’s approach is different. Our online reading programme is built around the idea that one-on-one attention is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Every child we work with is paired with a volunteer tutor who focuses solely on them. These tutors don’t rush, don’t correct harshly, and don’t move on before a child is ready. Instead, they listen, encourage, and celebrate every small step. They lead with patience, warmth and consistency, building the kind of safe, supportive relationship that builds confidence and motivation over time. They’re what researchers call attuned adults, people who notice not just the words a child says, but the hesitation in their voice or the spark of curiosity in their eyes. That kind of connection builds trust, and with trust comes confidence.

Research shows that strong relationships between children and the adults supporting them are key to early development. A child who feels safe, supported and understood is more likely to take risks in their learning. For reading, that might mean sounding out a tricky new word, asking questions about what’s happening in a story or sharing their own ideas about the characters. Over time these small acts build both skill and confidence. 

And importantly, one-on-one learning removes the fear of being judged. In a large class, struggling readers often keep quiet to avoid making mistakes in front of their peers. But in a private one-on-one space, mistakes are welcomed as part of the process.

One child, one tutor, one story at a time. This is how confidence is built. Not through pressure or perfection, but through patient, personal attention.

~ Written by Eleanor Payne, volunteer at Book Village

How to Build Connections in Reading Sessions

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Gibbs (2006) states that “Teaching and Learning are about meaningful connections.” One of the most special parts of Book Village is that we get to see the impact on our students of having adults that are completely invested in their learning and success. Most of our students come from classrooms that are oversized and under-resourced. For many of our learners, their interactions in Book Village are their only chance for one-on-one learning. The change in our students ,from when they start on our programme to when they have been reading with us for a while, is immense. Our learners become enthusiastic, motivated and engaged in their own learning and that comes from feeling connected to people that believe in them. 

Santrock (2009) explains the importance of providing young learners with “a supportive environment for them to develop literacy skills.” As part of our safety features, our tutors and students are connected randomly. While there is a chance you might get a student more than once, you will often be connected to a new student. We know that 20 minutes is not a long time to create a safe and trusting environment for our students to thrive and learn – and yet we see it happening every day! 

We do know that this comes with challenges, so here are a few simple ideas to help you to connect with the student in your reading sessions. 

Learn their name
Take a minute at the beginning of each session to introduce yourself, ask their name, and if there is a name they prefer to be called. Some students will have multiple names, in different languages. McGee and Fraser (2008) explain that “names can be sacred or have particular significance in terms of ancestry.” We can listen to how students pronounce their names, listening to intonation, emphasis and cadence. Learning their name and using it throughout the session can be a simple way to help students to feel seen and respected. 

Show an interest 
Students respond positively when they are interacting with someone who shows a “genuine regard for…their progress, their humanity and the essence of who they are.” (McGee and Fraser, 2008). We can demonstrate an interest through 
Asking questions. While we discourage volunteers from asking (or answering) specific personal or locational questions for safety reasons, there are lots of questions that are appropriate and relevant to the books you are reading and can help students to share their ideas and opinions. Questions like, “what is your favourite…. Do you enjoy…. What is a time you felt or did…. “ Can allow students to feel confident to share, and feel like their thoughts matter. 
Connecting to and building on what students share. You can do this by finding common ground or asking follow up questions for clarity or more information. Using phrases like ‘I agree with what you just said, because…” or “I also think…” can help students to feel like you are listening and that what they are saying is important. 
Using humour. This is a great way to connect with students and help them feel engaged. It can also allow students to feel comfortable to share the things they find funny, interesting or meaningful. 

Help them feel successful
Learning, especially learning to read, is hard work. It takes a lot of courage for our students to get on the app and read with a new person each session. A great way to help them feel successful is to show enthusiasm through your session together. This can be through specific praise for their effort, focus, skills or ideas shared, sounding out new words or remembering letter sounds. I also find that expressing my excitement to read with them at the beginning of a session, and my enjoyment of our time together at the end of the session are also easy ways to help them feel successful and noticed. 

We are so grateful for our volunteers and the kind, compassionate interactions they have with our students. We see the difference you are making, and hope these suggestions are helpful in your sessions with the learners in Book Village. 

References
Gibbs, C. (2006) To be a teacher: Journeys towards authenticity. Pearson. 
McGee, C., & Fraser, D. (2008). The professional practice of teaching. Cengage Learning. 
Santrock, J. (2009) Life-span development. McGraw Hill  

By Eva Roding

Holiday Activities for Kids that Promote Literacy Learning

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The holiday period can sometimes be a challenging and boring period depending on who you ask. For parents who are occupied with work, they might not have the time or are uncertain about how to keep their children entertained – besides sticking a TV in front of them or organising the odd playdate. On the other hand, children might not know what fun activities exist nor have the resources to keep themselves entertained. Thus, this blog post is going to offer some inspiration, and hopefully provide some useful ideas that are fun, yet still promote useful literacy skills.

Up first on the list of ideas is… baking! This is a great activity that calls for getting one’s hands messy in the kitchen with the result being a sweet treat that can leave one satisfied for the days to come! Literacy skills can be promoted in this activity through the reading and writing of ingredients. If more than one sweet treat is made, writing up a menu is another fun way to promote literacy.

Secondly, designing and writing a picture book is a fantastic way to get your child to express themselves creatively and chat about what interests them. Using colourful paper and different types of stationery, as well as buying stickers to add to the picture book is definitely going to add an exciting touch to the whole process!

Gardening is another activity that encourages research and the reading of labels in order to ensure that one’s plant is planted correctly and kept alive. It is a fun interactive activity that can be documented through the taking of photographs and even writing a weekly journal update.

Finding different objects around one’s home through a little treasure hunt and then using them to create a sensory bin, enables children to have fun guessing what the object they are holding is through their senses. This activity is also wonderful to get your kids to use their imagination and have a good laugh.

Lastly, attending a theatre production that is based on a book your child has read or enjoys, is a spectacular way to encourage conversation and the urge to re-read the book after watching the play. Prepare some questions on a separate piece of paper to see how much they grasped from the story.

Happy holidays everyone!

Heritage Day

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Heritage Day is a call for celebration. South Africa is a culturally-rich country with 11 official languages and it consists of a diverse population of 59 million people. One way to introduce children to the importance of this day is to allow them to have a whole day in their school calendar dedicated to exploring the different facets of the topic of ‘culture’.

The day can begin by allowing learners to dress up in their traditional wear. This is a lovely way to spark conversation about different garments.

Afterwards, you could dive into a pre-made lesson plan. This can include presenting a slideshow on topics such as the ‘history of South Africa’ or even unpacking the 8 world heritage sites:

  • Robben Island (Western Cape) is best known as the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. 
  • iSimangaliso Wetland Park (KwaZulu-Natal) is home to the largest estuary in Africa as well as the southernmost coral reef in Africa.
  • Cradle of Humankind (Gauteng) includes the hominid fossil sites at Swartkrans, Sterkfontein and Kromdraai.
  • Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal) is where the most concentrated collection of rock paintings in Africa can be seen.
  • Mapungubwe Heritage Site (Limpopo). This was South Africa’s first kingdom which traded with China and India and is also known as the “place of the stone of wisdom”.
  • Cape Floral Kingdom (Western Cape) is 1 of 18 biodiversity hotspots globally. Some of the protected areas that you may already know are Table Mountain, Cederberg wilderness area and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden.
  • Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (Northern Cape) covers a vast area of mountainous desert in the north-west part of South Africa. 
  • Vredefort Dome (Free State) is where the world’s largest meteorite impact crater is.

For lunch, you could encourage each child to bring a different food or drink that is quintessential to their culture and ask them to explain how it is made or ask them to give an interesting fact about it. This is another brilliant way to encourage casual conversation. 

To add to the ambience, you could get the learners to colour in different flags, and later have a little pop quiz to test them on the different names of the countries. 

Lastly, different dances, songs or interesting traditions specific to their culture can be shown either through physical demonstration or even video clips online. 

Heritage Day is an important day for remembering one’s history and way of life that make us truly unique. It is a day where people should develop an understanding and willingness to learn about other people. And moreover, it is a good day to have a braai in true South African style!

4 Young Adult Books that We Chose by their Covers

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It’s probably true that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover – but we couldn’t resist choosing these from the recent SORA Sweet Reads 2022 collection – based entirely on looks!

‘The Sky is Mine’ by Amy Beashel – well this book had to be read! It has more prize stickers on its bright yellow cover than my favourite bottle of wine does.  I was gripped from the first page by this shocking, compelling page-turner that addresses rape culture in teens and domestic abuse in families.  The writing is excellent, and despite the subject matter, is often humorous. Izzy, the main character, is just great and the book is a hopeful call for young teens to tell their stories to the world.

The only part of the book that I found disappointing was the unfortunately predictable bit where Izzy forms a romantic relationship with her rower friend and saviour – which almost nixes all the empowering, good bits of the book.  Apart from this, the book is sure to be enjoyed by older teens.

‘The Obsession’ by Jesse Q Sutanto – This book has a very striking red cover with stick figures entwined by wool – and the caption:  “Boy meets girl, Boy stalks girl, Girl gets revenge”,  was enough to get me started.  And the book is a great fast-paced YA thriller, set in the exclusive boarding school, Draycott Academy. The story is extreme and dark with dead bodies and a shocking twist at the end.  Once I’d finished the book (which I did very quickly), I did think that it was a bit of a ridiculous plot – but it kept me reading right to the end.

Another book by the same author,  ‘The New Girl‘ – with a cover that I loved too! Also set in Draycott Academy and with another over-the-top storyline.  This time the ending was a slight letdown as it was a bit obvious. There is a lot of teen drama, bullying, cheating,  a corrupt teacher – and at least one dead body in this YA mystery thriller.  I thought the depiction of bullying at the school through an app,  Draycott Dirt, was horrifying and realistic.

‘Minus Me’ by Ingelin Rossland – I chose this book because of the Norwegian author, thinking it might be a bit of teen Scandi Noir, or at least have descriptions of the beautiful Norwegian landscapes.  But I was disappointed on both fronts. The book turned out to be a bit odd with religious stuff in it that wasn’t for me.  The main character, bratty 13-year-old Linda, draws up a bucket list when she learns that she has a rare heart condition and might die soon.  The book follows her, and her new weird friend, Zak, on their adventures as they tick off items on her list.  Some young teen girls might identify with Linda and enjoy reading this.

Sora Sweet Reads is OverDrive’s annual reading programme running May 4 – August 17, 2022. Juvenile and young adult ebooks (as well as select audiobooks) are available to participating schools through the Sora reading app.

Youth Day

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In the words of Nelson Mandela “Young people are capable, when aroused, of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom”. Youth Day is celebrated annually on the 16th of June as a testament to the power of the youth to advocate against oppression. On the 16th of June 1976, thousands of students protested in the streets of Soweto against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of education. Moreover, the protests were also about the Bantu Education system as a whole. The idea behind Bantu education was to create a population that was trained to perform manual labour and be involved in ‘menial work’.  Students protested this too, opposing the overcrowded, underfunded and poor standards of education that students of colour were receiving from the Apartheid government. Tragically, clashes with police resulted in many protesters’ deaths, with statistics varying from 400 to over 1000 protesters (mainly children) dying. This was a devastating day in our country’s history but one that was also considered a turning point in the Anti-Apartheid regime. The actions of the Apartheid government in the June 16th protests were a contributing factor to the adoption of a more militant approach by Anti-Apartheid movements. The event also highlighted the atrocities of Apartheid to international communities, who would later introduce sanctions against the Apartheid Government. The ‘beginning of the end’ so to say.

This year marks 46 years since the Soweto uprising and whilst many strides have been taken to improve our educational system for young South Africans, there is still more to be done. According to Amnesty International, the modern-day South African educational system is characterised by “crumbling infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms and relatively poor educational outcomes”. The article also argued that a poor educational system “perpetuates inequality” and fails many children “with the poor hardest hit”. It is undoubtable that access to a quality education not only has positive impacts for a child but also for all of society. Some devastating statics noted that “three-quarters of children aged nine cannot read for meaning”. This issue in South Africa also seems to varied amongst provinces with statistics showing that reading without comprehension is “as high as 91% in Limpopo and 85% in the Eastern Cape. And of 100 learners that start school, 50-60 will make it to matric, 40-50 will pass matric, and only 14 will go to university”(Amnesty International, 2020).

At Book Village, we will not allow these statistics to persist and part of our mission is to help end the literacy crisis in South Africa. Our hope is that our digital app and library will allow for reading to become more accessible to all young South Africans and that this can help directly target some of the gaps in our educational sector.

This Youth Day, we continue to be inspired by the determination of the youth of 1976 in their quest to advocate for equal education for all. This tragic day is a reminder of where we have come from and our responsibility as a country to continue to advocate for the rights of children, particularly their educational rights.

7 Essential Skills Needed for your Child to Start Reading

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The first time a child picks up a book, they’re unlikely to know how to open it properly, let alone be a fluent reader. This is because like with any skill, you must start with baby steps before you can start walking. But unlike many skills such as walking or speaking, the ability to read is not acquired naturally without instruction.  Studies suggest that without quality instruction, a child who reads poorly in the early grades will continue to read poorly in the upper grades, and will require more and more instructional intervention in order to “catch up” (Juel, 1988).

We have spent the first half of the year teaching the necessary pre-reading skills to the Grade Rs and Grade 1s at Cosmo City Primary and they have been making great progress.  If you’ve got a little one, it’s never too soon to start helping them to acquire these skills too.

Through the course of their reading development, a child will go through 4 reading stages:

  • Emergent reader (cannot read yet) 
  • Beginner reader 
  • Early reader
  • Fluent reader

Throughout these stages, there are skills that children develop in order to become fluent readers. 

1. Interest and motivation to read 

In order to learn how to read, children must have a desire to read. They must be motivated in order to develop new skills, which will help them grow as a reader.  

A way to inspire interest and motivation in your children is to read to them everyday and allow them to choose the books.

2. Visual perception

This is our brains’ ability to process what we see and what our eyes have picked up. 

When children learn to read, their visual perception needs to be accurate so that they can distinguish between foreground and background, and discriminate between colours, shapes, sizes and positions in space. This helps children to visualise and process words in the long term. 

If your little one is having visual perception difficulties there are many activities that will help improve these skills.

3. Book and print awareness

Before learning to read, children will pick up books and enjoy the pictures without realising that the letters on the page can be deciphered to create meaning.  

Children need to develop an understanding of how letters create words and these words can be put into sentences to create meaning. 

Playing word games, pointing out words around children in their environment, modelling the correct way to handle books and using your finger to follow the text as you read a book to them are ways to improve their book and print awareness. 

4. Narrative and listening skills

When listening to a story, a child is able to focus on what the story is about, use their imagination and develop expectations of how the story will end. 

Through this process, they are able to develop their comprehension skills, vocabulary and memory. Good narrative skills allow a child to describe things and retell events. Both narrative and listening skills are essential for a child to learn how to read as they assist in improving vocabulary, predicting, understanding, concentration and memory.

5. Letter Knowledge

In order for children to read words, they need to understand that letters have names and sounds, and can be uppercase and lowercase. 

Ways to help improve your child’s letter knowledge are to read alphabet books,  teach them the letters in their name and make them aware of letters in their environment by looking at license plates on cars, recipe books, labels on groceries and other items. 

6. Phonological and phonemic awareness

This is the ability to hear that words are made up of smaller sounds and these sounds can be manipulated. When a child hears a word like ‘pat’, they should be able to identify the different letters and their sounds – /p/ /a/ /t/. They should also be able to hear sound patterns such as rhyme and syllables. 

Singing nursery rhymes, breaking down words into sounds, counting syllables, and changing the beginning sounds of words are some of the many activities that can help improve phonological and phonemic awareness. 

7. Vocabulary

Lastly, knowing the names of things is an essential skill in order to learn how to read. The greater your child’s vocabulary, the easier it will be for them to learn how to read and enjoy reading. 

When reading stories to your children they can hear the words and connect them with pictures in the storybook. This is a great way to improve their vocabulary. 

Other ways you can improve vocabulary include having conversations with your children and explaining unfamiliar words to them, asking them to describe things such as their toys or food, reading stories everyday and playing word games. 

Photo by Gautam Arora on Unsplash & WoodenEarth.com

Why Reading to Children is Important

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Reading allows us to transport ourselves into different worlds. New words can be learnt, different emotions can be felt; your imagination can run wild.

But why is it particularly important for you to be reading to your children? The answer lies within the developmental process of a child.

Assisted cognitive development is the first reason why reading to your child is important. Cognitive development refers to “how we perceive and think about our world in reference to our intelligence, reasoning, language development, and information processing” (https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/why-is-reading-important-for-children/). It’s true, a baby’s brain is like a sponge – easy to absorb the information it is given. Thus, through cognitive development, a child is able to make sense of the world around them and be able to problem-solve better.

Secondly, reading to your child allows them to become more empathetic as they are constantly put in front of different characters and situations. Developing empathy is important as it allows one to understand emotions better and how to respond to certain situations.

Thirdly, reading to your child allows them to feel validated and loved. By spending time with them you are building your bond.

Creativity and concentration skills are also improved by reading as it encourages your child to sit still and listen for long periods of time. Did you know that “Multiple studies have found a correlation between reading for pleasure and higher academic achievement in every subject, not just English?” (https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/why-is-reading-important-for-children/)

Some tips for reading to your children:

  • Read as much as you can and consistently: whether it be for 10 minutes a day or an hour, the most important thing is that you are reading!
  • Be patient: reading is an activity that requires you to fully engage with what you are reading as well as your child’s responses.
  • Make it fun and interactive by using different voices, pointing out connections and asking questions to test their understanding.
  • Encourage language exchange through conversation or verbal storytelling.

Reading is a wonderful form of entertainment and your children’s vocabulary will expand. It is important that they are surrounded by books. If you do not have the means to always purchase a new book, consider joining a public library or even using the wonderful resources available on the internet. Let’s continue to create a culture where we encourage the people in our lives to read more to their children as they are the future of this world.

Going Digital

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According to a UNESCO report published in September 2020, ”Education, the Internet and broadband connectivity have a tremendous potential to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges including the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nevertheless, today 3.6 billion people still have no access to the Internet and about 258 million children are out of school.” (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374309/PDF/374309eng.pdf.multi)

If you live in Gauteng, or probably anywhere in South Africa, you don’t have to look very hard until you find school children who have never accessed the internet.  For most of the little Grade 1s at Cosmo City Primary School outside Johannesburg, the first time they did was when they used the Book Village digital library through the Sora app from Overdrive.

And for these children, Library Time is a real treat!  We use some of the enriching material available on the internet all the time to liven up our lessons – but most importantly, the internet is a platform that enables the children to connect with the outside world like never before. With the Book Village app, we are extending the reach of one teacher in a classroom of over 60 children, to giving every child their own individual tutor so that they might learn at their own level and pace.

Apart from overcrowding in schools, many children start Grade 1 without having any pre-school education. There are only 50 places in Grade R at Cosmo City Primary for example, yet there are about 200 Grade 1 children. To help catch them up, we’ve designed a pre-reading programme that can be digitised and worked through with an individual online tutor when the children start school. We’ve been through this with the Grade Rs and Grade 1s this year, and they are making fantastic progress. We will include this programme in a future version of the Book Village app.

Finally, from the same UNESCO report, “School connectivity must also be about empowering those who are online by providing them with high quality, meaningful, inclusive and relevant content that is accessible through safe and secure platforms and delivered by innovative methods of instruction.”

And at Book Village, we are doing just that.

Sign Up To Be Part Of Book Village!

By signing up to become a volunteer, you will be among the first to hear when the Book Village app officially launches and have the opportunity to be among the first people in the world to start making an impact through the Book Village platform.