“The more that you read, the more things you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” – Dr Seuss
Reading corner at St Mary’s School, Zimbabwe
Each year on September 8th we observe the UNESCO-initiated International Literacy Day, to raise awareness around the issues of adult and child literacy.
Literacy workshop
“Literacy helps eradicate poverty, enables economic growth and mostly, reading and writing can provide a child with opportunities to ‘escape’ into their imaginations”, notes CITW Programme Manager, Janet Wilkinson.
“Literacy is a fundamental life skill for everyone”, she continues. “Children should be encouraged to read and write, and this starts in the home and continues at school.
“Sadly, in many areas, this life skill is only taught when a child enters school, delaying a child’s crucial early developmental progress”.
Since 1967, International Literacy Day celebrations have taken place annually around the world to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights. Despite great progress, literacy challenges persist, with at least 773 million adults worldwide lacking basic literacy skills today.
This International Literacy Day lesson plan from 2017 is a very useful reference. Find it here.
