Sometimes heroes appear in the most unlikely places.
Take Auntie Anna in Once Upon a Time, a story set in South Africa. She spends her Sundays relaxing in “a rusted-up old car” and reading with young Sarie. With this child by her side, she opens a book and changes her life.
Sarie wrestles with the words that catch in her throat when she’s called upon to read in school. Classmates laugh at her efforts. Helping her to become a reader, Auntie Anna saves her from further teasing.
She also saves Sarie from the sense of failure familiar to struggling readers everywhere. By the end of Once Upon a Time, it’s clear that this child, in the middle of nowhere, is heading somewhere – both the imagined and real places that reading can take one.
Literacy – the ability to read and write – is essential if kids are to make it in this world. Sarie is lucky that Auntie Anna comes to the rescue in the absence of two hard-working, tired parents. However, experts tell us that generally, it is parents who are children’s first and most important teachers. In your family, do you honour the three Rs of literacy that turn children into readers and leaders? They are:
Parents and other caregivers enjoy regularly-scheduled read-aloud sessions with their children. Studies show that 15 to 30 minutes each day makes the difference.
Only the best books are good enough for your child, any child, for that matter. Borrow plenty at the library. And because every child deserves to own a handful, try to buy some good ones. Keep them within reach. Carve out time to dive in.