CHoiCe Trust encourages a culture of reading through training and supporting local Reading Aunties to provide reading sessions to young children in rural schools in South Africa.
Children living in poverty in rural South Africa have limited access to books to read for enjoyment. Under-resourced schools and families living in poverty are unable to prioritize reading, particularly as many adults have had limited opportunities for reading themselves. This leaves the children without the opportunity to access books and reading support.
CHoiCe will train Reading Aunties to read stories to young children from their communities. The children have the opportunity to regularly attend Reading Clubs where they listen to a wide range of stories, ask questions and express opinions in a safe environment. The children look forward to hearing new stories and as a result are encouraged to learn how to read for themselves.
Reading aloud to young children improves vocabulary and comprehension and provides children with a frame of reference outside of the challenging circumstances they may currently find themselves in. Storybooks inspire creative thought and encourage children to imagine new possibilities and development opportunities for themselves and their communities.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
