The lack of home language reading is fast grabbing the attention of authors and experts, as literacy rates in SA are far below what they should be.
Educational psychologist Seago Maapola said the country was facing a literacy crisis where up to 78% of grade 4 pupils are not able to read for comprehension in any language.
Worsening the situation is that pupils do not have access to books that are written in their native language, with English and Afrikaans being the popular languages of publication.
“At this stage we are sitting with about 80% of grade 4s or 10-year-olds that are not able to read in their native language, which is quite shocking if you think about it.
“Research has also shown that if a child struggles to read by the age of 13, they are likely to drop out of school because they will not have the foundational skills of what it takes to make it in high school. Only 52% of children who start grade 1 make it to grade 12.”
Maapola, who was speaking at a kiddies book launch at a Wimpy restaurant in Ferndale, Randburg in Johannesburg, on Wednesday, said it was important for books to have characters that children can identify with.
“Often times before I do an emotional assessment, I ask children to draw themselves and the feedback I get is interesting. Black children would draw images of these people with really long and straight hair, which looks nothing like them and this is because that's what they are exposed to — this is Eurocentric perception of self,” she said.
The launch which saw a collection of five books written in 11 official languages as well as a dialect of Khoi, came as September marks National Literacy Month.
Published by Ethnikids, an online book store that was started by a group of mothers who were concerned about the poor literacy levels, the books are based on African folktales and covers a range of topics including diversity, mutual respect, honesty and individualism.
“Moreover, when a child can identify with the character a book provides an ideal vehicle to nurture a child’s mental health, building a sense of identity and belonging as well as developing self-confidence,” Maapola said.
“Home language reading associates children with their culture and gives that pride. Read to your children, expose them to different content, it will teach them diversity because the more different experiences they are exposed to, the more inclusive they become.”
Maapola debunked the misconception that teaching children their mother tongue was outdated, saying while many parents were faced with the task of juggling multiple languages in which to communicate and teach their children, they need not worry because children are able to adapt.
“If English is their learning language at school, have your home language still be central for communication at home, so they can learn that there is a learning language and a home language — and they will adjust. ” she said. “There is power in speaking your mother tongue.”
The books — Chicharito and Thokozani the Eland — were some of the books that were showcased at the launch and were well received by the little ones.
Author Sihle Nontshokweni read out her work Chicharito to the children who listened attentively, sometimes loudly repeating words and chants. The book, which carries some influence from SA musicians like Hugh Masikela’s Stimela and Zama Jobe’s Ndawo Yami, had children singing and chuckling while answering questions.
Spokesperson and co-founder for EthniKids, Khumo Tapfumaney, said the group of mothers were hoping to make an impact in improving literacy among children.
“We saw a gap in the availability of books that were written for the South African children and we decided to do some research and the shocking stats were what prompted us to start,” she said.
“We found that 61% of children’s books in trade publishing are produced in Afrikaans, 37% in English and 2% in all indigenous languages. We want to change this.”
The books, which are available at all Wimpy restaurants as well as on the Ethnikids website, also allow children to choose their own ending by scanning a QR code at the back of the books, encouraging them to use their own imagination to expand on the narrative.
sibiyan@sowetan.co.za
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