These moments often go unnoticed, but they are the start of something much bigger. A child who reads confidently today may go home and share that excitement with a sibling or parent. A learner who feels proud of finishing a book may suddenly start raising their hand in class. Quiet progress often leads to bigger shifts in a child’s life and in the lives of those around them.

One-on-one reading support helps build more than just literacy skills. It builds confidence. A confident learner is more likely to try, more likely to ask questions, and more likely to stay engaged in their learning. At Book Village, our tutors know that what feels like a small win today often leads to much bigger steps later on.

While Book Village’s work focuses on individual support, we know that the benefits don’t stop there. When a child builds confidence in reading, it doesn’t only shape their learning experience, but it can have a positive effect on their future, their family, and their wider community. Strong literacy skills open doors to better educational outcomes, which in turn help to build stronger, more informed communities

One of the most powerful things about this work is that the ripple effect extends to our volunteer tutors as well. Again and again, volunteers share how much the experience means to them. Monica from Belgium said, “The sheer joy of hearing smiling voices as the learners grew in confidence took me by surprise. I keep arriving late for work because I want to fit in just one more session.”

For some, it brings new meaning to community connection. As Hartmann from South Africa put it, “Book Village is making a real difference in the lives of children across the country… If you are looking for a way to make a meaningful impact in your community, I encourage you to consider supporting this organisation.”

Others describe it as a deeply personal experience. Deborah from Trinidad and Tobago wrote, “The experience is burning a forever patch in my heart and brings a fresh breeze to the meaning of life.”

These reflections show that while our focus is always on the children first, the impact doesn’t stop there. Volunteers grow in confidence too, often describing their experience of supporting young readers as one of the most rewarding parts of giving their time. The connection they build to the work itself and to the purpose behind it, stays with them long after the reading session is over.

Real impact is not always loud or obvious. It can look like a smile after finishing a tricky sentence. It can be the moment a child says, “Can we read that one again?” or the steady encouragement from a tutor who knows that progress is built one word at a time.

At Book Village, we believe that reaching more children matters. But we also know that each individual child deserves care, time, and encouragement to help them succeed.

Big change starts small. One child. One story. One step at a time.

~ Written by Eleanor Payne

~ Photo by Kiana Bosman on Unsplash

Roche (2015) explains that Picturebooks “are immense sources of pleasure as well as a means of sparking off an interest in reading for children who are just beginning that process.” There are so many skills that can be taught through picturebooks. It is important to note that it is not just the text in picturebooks that can spark enjoyment and learning as the pictures are just as important as the text. As Michaels and Walsh (1990) state, “Pictures and picture books are an important part of the meaning making process. Reading pictures is just as complex, perhaps more complex, than reading print: it can also be just as rewarding as reading print.”

Pictures teach important skills

As the world around us becomes more visual and complicated, students need to learn how to take meaning from all forms of information. Bull and Anstey (2007) explain that “Knowledge of print text …is still necessary, but it is no longer sufficient in a highly visual age of increasing technological innovation.” They go on to explain that “picture books are a great place to commence the study of still images” as they are familiar and accessible. 

The combination of words and pictures also support a range of skills including learning how to visualise what is happening in the story, developing imagination, helping students to decode new words, and explaining or helping them understand new vocabulary. The combination of pictures and words also help students to develop inference skills as they learn to combine clues from the text and the pictures with their own experiences to create meaning. Pictures can also help even the youngest of readers to understand the sequence of events allowing them to make sense of the story. 

Picturebooks act as mirrors and windows

Daly (2021) states that “an important function of children’s books is to provide windows into other people’s worlds; but just as importantly, they should provide mirrors of a range of children’s realities.” Books that give voice to and illustrate a range of human experiences allow readers to develop empathy for others and understanding and compassion for themselves. 

Tan (2002) explains that “the lessons we learn from studying pictures and stories are best applied to a similar study of life in general – people, places, objects, emotions, ideas and the relationships between them all.” With even the youngest of readers, pictures can help students recognise and understand emotions, help them to connect to characters and develop a sense of empathy and understanding for experiences that are not their own. 

Pictures increase enjoyment 

Regardless of how incredibly beneficial it is for students to learn how to gain meaning from pictures, the best part about pictures is that they add to the enjoyment of the reader. Michaels and Walsh (1990) state that “when the two symbolic systems [of picture and print] work together, the satisfaction, enjoyment and stimulation is more than doubled.” We see this in every interaction our students have with their tutors, in their grins, giggles and concentration through their reading sessions. 

There are so many skills that our students are learning, practising and developing during their reading sessions. Through the support of our volunteers, our students are developing reading skills that will impact how they see themselves and the world around them for the rest of their lives. 

Written by: Eva Roding (Book Village volunteer)

Photo by Waldemar on Unsplash

References

Bull, G. & Anstey, M. (2007). Exploring visual literacy through a range of texts. Practically Primary 12(3), 4-7. 

Daly, N. (2021). Voices in the library: Curating New Zealand children’s literature. New Review of Children’s Literature and Librarianship, 27(1), 33-48
https://doi- org.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/10.1080/13614541.2021.1972758 

Michaels, W. & Walsh, M. (1990) Up and Away: using picture books. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Roche, M. (2015). Developing children’s critical thinking through picturebooks: a guide for primary and early years students and teachers. Routledge. 

Tan, S. (2002) Picture Books: Who are They For? Online, available at: http://www.shauntan.net/images/whypicbooks.pdf (accessed Jan 2014). 

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.

I didn’t intend to steal the book, just to read it – but it was quite a long book and I hadn’t finished it when it was time to go home – so I took it.  

It has been nice to have the feel of a paperback in my hands again, to measure progress through the book in width rather than page number, and to be reminded of the title and the author every time I picked up the book. 

But there are some downsides to paperbacks, apart from them being easy to steal. I had to make it one of the day’s jobs to read it. You can’t read a paperback during loadshedding or even easily, ever, in bed, unless you’ve got a serious head torch and an uncomplaining partner. This is hugely important if you live in South Africa – when the power goes out, the only thing to do is to get into bed with your tablet or Kindle and read a good book.  

Another thing I found with reading paperbacks is that lack of privacy. Everyone around you can see what you are reading – and my family did tease me about the horse book, even though I pointed out that it was written by a Pulitzer Prize winning author. The snoopiness of people about the paperback you are reading can also be a problem if you are ,say, engrossed in a steamy, Cosmo recommendation, or a great page-turner, where someone nearby will spy the book cover and ask “have you got to the part where he dies yet?”

With digital, you can read anything without fear of judgement or spoilers.

“Horse Heaven” was excellent and I’m not sure if it was the writing style, or because I read it in paperback, but it will be one of my most memorable books of this year.  I know what Jane Smiley looks like from her photo on the back of the book, and I really want to read some of her other titles. In fact I’ve already passed the book on to the next person who I think will enjoy it too.  And you can’t do that with a digital book!

~ Sarah