As readers all over the world get ready to celebrate World Book and Copyright Day on April 23, SPARK Blue Downs High principal Siyabonga Manana is leading the charge to get more of his scholars reading for fun and reading for knowledge. According to the 2023 National Reading Survey, 25% of South Africans have no books and more than 3 in 5 people (63%) still do not have any fiction or nonfiction books at home.
Manana, an avid reader, explains why reading books is so important for everyone, particularly scholars. “Reading really does make you clever. It enhances basic vocabulary skills, helps with comprehension, cognitive ability and critical thinking. It’s also a lot of fun,” he says.
“Everything we do in life, from solving mathematical problems to reading a contract, needs reading skills. Our job as educators is to foster a reading culture among our scholars and provide them with spaces where they can sit and read. Not social media, but real books.
“Not being able to read for meaning affects a scholar’s academic progress and ability, and we need to make sure all our scholars are where they need to be with their reading skills to get them to university and beyond.” Manana says the day will also focus scholars’ attention on copyright and help them understand the concept of ownership and plagiarism.
Manana offers his best advice to get reading: “Expose yourself to reading by doing it in small increments. Choose to read what you are interested in, even if it’s comic books or anime, and read with purpose and understanding. “Reading is something we should do every day, even if it’s just a few pages before your day starts or when you go to bed. Be persistent in your reading habits,” he says.
How to get your child reading
Manana suggests that parents incentivise their children to read, with a treat or reward for every book finished. “Let them choose what they want to read. If what they read is tailored to their personality, they will enjoy the experience so much more.”
He is quick to stress that there is no right or wrong way of reading. As long as children are trying and putting in the work, they are succeeding, he says. “Reading inspires confidence in scholars, and as it expands their vocabulary, it makes them comfortable with writing and speaking and classroom participation. A confident reader can understand instructions given to them and ultimately it helps scholars to be more in control of their own education.”
SPARK Blue Downs High will be celebrating World Book and Copyright Day with a book drive where the school will appeal to parents to participate and donate books. Scholars will also be dressing up as their favourite book characters, so expect some superheroes, Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z anime, witches and wizards, and “Little Women”.
Note to editors:
World Book and Copyright Day is a symbolic date in world literature as it is the date on which prominent writers William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega died. The date was chosen for UNESCO’s General Conference in Paris in 1995 to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors and encouraging citizens to read. Since then, the day has celebrated and promoted the enjoyment of books and reading.