WORLD READ ALOUD DAY- 2ND FEBRUARY 2022

Every year the first Wednesday of February is World Read Aloud Day (WRAD). People all over the world read aloud together and share stories as a way to advocate for literacy as a human right that belongs to all people. Reading aloud to children has a foundational impact on their learning, listening and reading skills. Building a connection between the spoken and written words, and strengthens a child’s cognition. Participants select a book, find a friend and read aloud. The day also encourages parents to read aloud to their children.
In Botswana, Gaborone Book Festival (GBF) is partnering with Institute of Development Management (IDM) to celebrate this day. We started in 2018 reading to 800 students in 2 districts.    The activity focuses on primary schools. In 2020, we reached 2500 students in Gaborone and surrounding areas, and in 2021 we reached 17 000 students across 5 districts in Botswana. In 2021,due to COVID-19 restrictions the physical read aloud day was cancelled and used various digital platforms to read to children. This programme is dependent on volunteers, IDM knowledge Ambassadors, IDM staff and primary school teachers.
This year we are targeting 50 000 students across Botswana over 5 days. The target will cover a significant number of students in selected primary schools mainly in villages, settlements, low income and high density areas. IDM/ SOS Village Kindergarten and IDM adopted schools including Mantshwabisi, Letsholo in Kopong, Mophane and Tshiamo in Gaborone have been included. During the month of February it is critical to take time and read on our own and to our children. It is time to celebrate the importance of reading, foster children’s growth as readers and promote a lifelong love of literature. Reading is central to learning, and we believe we can promote and drive a culture of reading which a challenge in Botswana remains. This can contribute to the government’s ambition of a knowledge based economy.