Help to Read & Mini Libraries

Help to Read

Help to Read is a volunteer organisation to assist learners with reading. Each week about 6 volunteers come to school to read to children. The organisation provides the school with a box of books and games which are used during the reading sessions. Learners from grade 3 to grade 7 who are struggling with reading, are identified by teachers and they enjoy a one on one session with a volunteer.

If you would like to learn more about this programme visit the Help2read website

Benefits :

This initiative has been so successful because the children enjoy the individual attention with an adult in an un-threatening environment.
Many of the learners do not have the privilege of having this kind of experience in their everyday lives.
The teachers have reported that the children who attend these sessions have improved significantly in their reading ability and subsequently in their class work.
They feel more comfortable to read aloud engage in conversations.

Mini Libraries

Melpark Primary opted for the option of a Mini Library in each class instead of a larger Media centre. Each Mini Library has between 100 and 150 books. The class teachers use the reading period once a week to talk about some of the books in stock and this encourages learners to choose books.

Since the inception of the Mini Libraries children are able to access the books more regularly and the outcome is that children are reading a lot more. The understanding is if a child could read about 50 or more books from the mini library for the year then the objective would be met.

Benefits include:

Children are not overwhelmed by the choices in a bigger library.
All books are age appropriate for a particular class.
Books cater for interest level of learners.
Books are easily and readily accessible to learners at any time they choose. Pupils don’t have to wait for a week to visit the library.
Learners could read at their own pace.
The school continues to purchase books that are relevant and interesting to stock up the mini libraries.

Have you and your children visited the Melville Public Library?

The public library has children’s books and story-time on Wednesday afternoons 3.30pm to 4.30pm, excluding public holidays.

Address: Corner Main Road & Ayr Road, Melville, Johannesburg
Contact: 011 726 7702
Time: Monday – Thursday 9am to 5pm / Friday & Saturday 9am to 1pm
Cost: Free

Please call to confirm if story-time is happening.

Useful web pages to visit

Sparklebox

Reading A-Z