14-Day Reading Challenge – Are You In?
This week Worldreader launched our 14-day Reading Challenge!
By launching this challenge, Worldreader hopes to encourage parents and caregivers to keep reading to the young children in their lives, and to develop a habit of doing so frequently. The challenge has been designed for children aged 3-8.
It can’t be stressed enough how important it is for parents and caregivers to read with children – particularly during these times.
Still today, schools continue to be closed nationwide in 146 countries due to #COVID19. And reading is one of the easiest and most effective ways to preserve a child’s learning.
Here’s how the 14-Day Reading Challenge works
The challenge is simple: every day a new children’s book from Worldreader’s BookSmart app will be recommended to readers. Readers can access this book for free on their mobile phones. Each book will be accompanied by an activity that will help children reflect on the story they’ve just read – activities range from drawing, to acting, and even dancing!
Below is a list of the 14 books that we are promoting among our readers in West and East Africa – we hope you’ll join the challenge and enjoy these books as much as we do. You can join at any time!
A quick note about children’s safety online
Now that so much learning is happening online, there are increased concerns around a child’s safety. It’s imperative for parents and caregivers to understand the precautions that should be taken to keep children safe when schools go online.
Day 1
Today’s book:
What Do You Like to Do? By Ubongo International
Description:
Happy Hippo likes to read. Little Lion likes to jump and count. Bush Baby likes to draw beautiful pictures. What do you like to do?
Activity:
Ask your child to tell you three things he/she likes to do and demonstrate them if possible (drawing, dancing etc.)
Day 2
Today’s book:
Where is Aba? By David Owusu-Sekyere Annin and Adjoa T. Browne
Description:
Aba’s parents can’t find her. Guess where she could be?
Activity:
Place an object in different positions ‘around’ a chair, table, or box and ask your child whether the object is placed “under”, “in front”, or “behind”.
Day 3
Today’s book:
The Red Ouch & Moo Book By Mukundan, Trupti Godbole, Govind Mukundan, Poonam Bir Kasturi
Description:
Children need to understand how important it is to reduce our dependency on plastic, on all fronts. When a plastic bag has eyes, whatever can that mean? It means it is alive, it is not inert. It oozes, changes, and interacts with the world.
Activity:
Read this story with your child and try answering the questions you’ll find at the end of the book, there are no right or wrong answers!
Day 4
Today’s book:
Kids On Bikes By Magritte Brink and Hilary Atkinson
Description:
Sam and Princess are having fun on their bicycles with all their neighbourhood friends.
Activity:
Ask your child to count how many friends are on Princess’s and Sam’s bike.
Day 5
Today’s book:
Animals and their Young Ones By Zachariah Ndika
Description:
This is a picture book teaching about animals and their young ones.
Activity:
This book only has pictures. With your child, look at all the pictures and talk about what you see. Then, return to the beginning of the book, look at the pictures again, and create a story with your child.
Day 6
Today’s book:
Mary Plants a Tree By Tayo Amoz
Description:
Mary’s father tells her that once upon a time the earth was very green. Mary wants to help the earth become green again so she plants a tree. Learn how you can help too.
Activity:
Look at the list of new words you’ll find at the end of the book and discuss these with your child. Then ask your child to draw a tree, a house and some bananas!
Day 7
Today’s book:
Where Is Thabo? By Melissa Fagan
Description:
Thabo’s family is getting ready for the day and making a big mess as they hurry to get things done. But where is Thabo?
Activity:
Ask your child these questions: How many people are in Thabo’s family? Count with your child! Where was Thabo as everyone looked for him? What did Mama and Baba do wrong because they were in a hurry? Discuss what your child sees in each picture of the story.
Day 8
Today’s book:
Colours in My Poems By Farideh Khalatbaree
Description:
A poem for each color of the rainbow.
Activity:
Ask your child what colours the following items are: a cloud, the shining sun, traffic lights, the sky, grass, and smoke.
Day 9
Today’s book:
How Are You? By Delia Davies, Ben Dilley
Description:
This is a picture book teaching children about different feelings like sadness, happiness, friendliness, kindlness and anger. They help children understand their social emotional surroundings.
Activity:
Your child will be going through many different feelings at the moment, it’s normal. Ask your child how they feel today and ask them to draw the face that represents that feeling. Have your child demonstrate the actions that go with the various feelings from the book.
Day 10
Today’s book:
Making Things By Lynne Mansure
Description:
The book teaches about making and using toys. It encourages creativity amongst young learners.
Activity:
What toy can you make today? Help your child to draw or make an easy toy to play with.
Day 11
Today’s book:
Andy And The Honeybee By Tayo Amoz
Description:
Andy is a little boy who is very much in love with nature. He thinks of its many gifts and how enjoyable they are. In this book, Andy thinks of honey and the bees that make it.
Activity:
Look at the list of new words you’ll find at the end of the book and discuss these with your child. You can also ask your child to draw a colourful flower and a bee!
Day 12
Today’s book:
The Cross-With-Us Rhinoceros By Paul Geraghty and John Bush
Description:
When a group of young adventurers discover a lone rhinoceros, panic sets in and they run for safety. However, as we so often learn in life, things are not always quite the way they seem…
Activity:
Have your child draw a rhino or tree and colour it. Discuss with your child why children should be friendly with animals.
Day 13
Today’s book:
Zanele Situ: My Story By Andy Thesen
Description:
As a young girl Zanele Situ was told that she would never walk again. Being in a wheelchair did not stop her. She worked and trained hard and became a winning athlete on the world stage. This is her story.
Activity:
Draw a scene from the book you just read, allow your child to color it and discuss it with your child.
Day 14
Today’s book:
Magozwe By Lesley Koyi
Description:
A boy finds himself on the street with other street children. This is a thoughtful, challenging story about his life and how it begins to change for the better.
Activity:
Ask your child what he or she would like to become when they grow up and ask them to draw themselves doing the job or ask them to act it out.
