Mr. Mathias Tulasi, the Chief Executive Officer of Literacy Ambassadors Ghana, and Dr. Stefania Forte of Stefania Forte Education Foundation have called on Ghanaians and Liberians to support the World Read Aloud Day.
According to them, at least 793 million people across the globe remain illiterate and something must be done to reduce the number drastically “especially in Ghanaian and Liberian schools where most pupils do not benefit from lessons taught at school because they do not understand the English Language which is the medium of instruction”.
They made this call following the decision by Literacy Ambassadors Ghana and Stefania Forte Education Foundation to mark the World Read Aloud Day in some selected basic schools in both countries.
According to them, the culture of reading and love for books has become everyone’s responsibility.
“The culture of reading and love for books is something that we must all do our best to inculcate in the younger ones at a very tender age because becoming a lifetime reader is based on developing a very deep love for reading at a tender age”, they said.
They added that reading is a habit that can make an individual a better person since most children who read grow to become an adult who thinks.
They stressed the point that reading aloud to a child is one of the most important things parents, teachers and caregivers can do with children indicating that “not only does this build a strong language foundation, but also introduces vocabulary and can help develop curiosity and critical thinking among children”.
The World Read Aloud Day is an annual worldwide celebration founded by Pam Allyn that encourages kids, parents, and educators everywhere to grab a book, find an audience, and read aloud to them.
It is a day set aside, where people around the globe read aloud together and share stories to advocate for literacy as a basic human right that belongs to all manner of persons.
They called on both Ghanaians and Liberians to make the day special.
