Staff Reporter
The love for reading is growing among the community of Kenhardt, thanks to the newly implemented Read Aloud Programme implemented by Aries Solar Power.
Hosted at the local primary school and a new school library, the programme is beneficial for children and their parents to develop a growing love for reading.
It is designed to strengthen early reading skills, combining reading activities for learners, teacher support, and community involvement.
The benefits also included the establishment of a functional school library as the key to its implementation, whereby a local librarian was empowered to boost job creation and literacy and numeracy intervention.
Social Specialist for Aries Solar Power, Glen Berkat expressed pride at the privilege of handing over the new library to the primary school.
“A trained local librarian, appointed by the school, is facilitating daily reading activities for learners and providing access to age-appropriate materials, which is exciting to see,” gloated Berkat.
He elaborated that the programme places strong emphasis on the elements necessary to master the very first stage of reading development. By participating in guided reading sessions, classroom activities such as reading to their own teddy buddy and interactive storytelling exercises, learners are encouraged to build confidence, improve comprehension, and develop a lasting interest in books.
Teachers play an active role in reinforcing these skills, using approaches such as splitting classes into two groups, with one group receiving focused reading support from the librarian, while the other benefits from additional classwork support from their teacher.
The groups rotate regularly to ensure that all learners benefit.
Community involvement is further encouraged through library-based events, fundraising initiatives, and partnerships with local institutions.
“By embedding literacy within both the school and community environment, we believe that the Read Aloud Programme is helping to build a sustainable foundation for long-term educational success for our community in Kenhardt,” concluded Berkat.
The school Principal; Janetta Matthys, expressed pride in witnessing the learners and staff enjoying this programme.
“Learner behaviour and classroom participation have improved, with families also reporting more frequent reading and conversation at home,” said Matthys.
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