Kid Read: The joy of reading and storytelling

Aimed at primary schoolchildren, the British Council programme aims to rekindle the love for books.

ISLAMABAD: With the ever-increasing pace of technology, schoolchildren have more distractions and seem to be missing out on the reading habit. “The sight of a child reading while curled up on a coach or under the sun on a winter afternoon is becoming rarer by the day” stated British Council English Project Programme Manager Talha Shahzad at a storytelling event, said a press release issued by the council here on Sunday.

This is why the British Council and HSBC have joined forces for Kids Read, an initiative to encourage and promote the reading habit among schoolchildren. Under the programme, Kid Read, two storytelling events were held in Schola Nova and Muslim Hands School of Excellence in Islamabad recently.

These events entailed four storytelling sessions, followed by learning activities complementing the stories and theme of the event.

Storytelling competitions were also held. Parents were led through an interactive presentation highlighting their role in a child’s educational development. It highlighted ways parents can encourage reading skills amongst children.

The entire activity was pivoted around the theme of “volunteerism.”

“We hope to make a difference in the lives of these children and bring the joy of reading back in their lives,” added Talha. The programme was formally launched in partner schools in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi in December last year.

Moreover,  the British Council’s presence across the Middle East and North Africa region will enable this programme to reach over 55,000 children from over 75 schools in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria and Pakistan, said the organisers, the statement said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2012.