Nalibali Reading Club Starter Kit

Reading Club
Starter Pack
Your guide to starting and running a reading club
with the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign
Welcome! How to use this guide
Your Nal’ibali Reading Club Starter Pack has
been to designed to help you set up and
It's a pleasure to have you join us on the Nal'ibali reading-
run your own reading club. Whether you
for-enjoyment campaign.
are running a club at home with your own
children and a few of their friends, or you
At one level, the aim of Nal'ibali is a simple one - to
are running a club or literacy programme
spark a love of stories among adults and children. But
at your school or in your community, there
our deeper goal is to transform the learning opportunities
is something in here for you. Each section
of all children in South Africa, from the tiniest baby
contains tips, ideas and information to make
to the tallest teenager... by inspiring a passion for and
reading for enjoyment an everyday part of
commitment to reading. We're doing this by getting
children’s lives.
reading clubs going. In this Starter Pack, you'll find lots
of the information you need to help start, support and
Where you see this icon, you can
sustain a reading club in your community.
find more information related to
the topic on our website at
We know people who are bookworms and read a lot.
www.nalibali.org.
Often, they also know a lot! Well, to become a bookworm,
you have to want to read. And one of the easiest ways
Where you see this icon, visit our
to help children want to read, is to share great stories
mobisite at www.nalibali.mobi for
with them. We also learn to read by reading, and this can
more information related to
be hard work in the beginning. But it's all made easy and
the topic.
enjoyable when you are highly motivated, and nothing
inspires us more as human beings, than a marvelous story.
Where you see this icon, visit our
YouTube channel at
By setting up reading clubs, many individuals and
www.youtube.com/
organisations are making sure that regular satisfying and
TheNalibaliChannel to watch
fun-filled storytelling and reading sessions take place for
video clips about the topic.
children. As the Nal'ibali network of reading clubs grows,
more and more adults are volunteering to spend a bit of
Where you see this icon, read on
quality story-time with children using the languages they
for a fun literacy fact!
understand. It's one of the easiest and most enjoyable
ways to get to know and to assist children. Nal'ibali - it
starts with a story...
Content: PRAESA – the Project for the
Carole Bloch Study of Alternative Education in
Director, PRAESA South Africa
Photography: Ashleigh Heese,

Hi! I’m No odle.
I will be giving advice and
The Times
tips througho ut this gui de!
Design: Red Flag
Illustrations: Rico
Sparking children’s potential through storytelling and reading.
1
Contents
Introduction:
It starts with a story…............................................................................................................................... 3
Section 1: Storytelling 4
How to tell great stories........................................................................................................................... 5
Getting the most from your storytelling….............................................................................................. 6
Section 2: Reading and writing with children 7

Reading with your child…........................................................................................................................ 8
Choosing books for children…................................................................................................................ 9
Sharing books with babies and toddlers…........................................................................................... 10
Reading with 3 to 6 year olds…............................................................................................................. 11
Reading with 6 to 9 year olds…............................................................................................................. 12
Keep them reading!….............................................................................................................................. 13
Writing for real reasons…........................................................................................................................ 14
10 tips for reading aloud…...................................................................................................................... 15
Helping children through stories…......................................................................................................... 16
Section 3: Reading clubs 17

What is a reading club?…...................................................................................................................... 18
Starting a reading club…........................................................................................................................ 19
Developing a reading club programme…............................................................................................ 20
Stocking up on reading resources…...................................................................................................... 21
Using Nal’ibali supplements at your club…......................................................................................... 22
Creating print-rich environments…........................................................................................................ 23
Using songs, rhymes and games at your club.....................................…........................................... 24
Making good use of your library…......................................................................................................... 25
12 ways to grow or become part of a reading club…......................................................................... 26
Safety guidelines for reading clubs…..................................................................................................... 27
Section 4: Resources & pull-outs 29

Your reading club roadmap...........….................................….................................….......................... 30
Your guide to successful reading club sessions.............….................................................................. 31
Planning checklist for your reading club session.........…..................................................................... 32
Make-your-own bookmark.…................................................................................................................ 33
‘Books I’ve read’ reading log….............................................................................................................. 34
Games, songs and rhymes..................................................................................................................... 35
Reading club permission slip................................................................................................................. 37
2
I n t r o d u c t ion
It all starts with a story!

When did you last share a story? Was it this morning, when you told a neighbour about what happened yesterday
in the check-out queue at the supermarket? Was it yesterday, when your daughter brought home a history
project about the first democratic election in South Africa and asked you what you did on that day? Was it last
weekend, when you and your friends spent the afternoon talking about your memories of primary school? Was
it yesterday evening, when you read to your son at bedtime? Yes, we share stories in lots of different ways all of
the time. In fact, sharing stories is as natural to human beings as eating and sleeping!
It doesn’t matter how old we are, we all use stories to explore our lives – past and present – and our possible
futures. Other stories allow us to learn about the lives of our family and friends. Telling and reading stories
provides a safe space to experience and make sense of the ups and downs of life.
Then there are those stories that transport us into the lives of people we’ve never known, who come from long
ago and places faraway. And there are those stories that carry us away to imaginary worlds where real-life
fades and fantasy takes over. We might all enjoy different stories but we all share and explore them for the same
reason: they are just so satisfying!
So, sharing stories with your children is fun and powerful! And did you know that it has lots of other
benefits too? Here are some of them:
Stories help your children develop their imagination and creativity.
Stories help your children to develop their language and thinking, especially when they hear or read
them in their home languages.
Stories provide examples to your children of how people meet the challenges that face them.
It’s never too early to start – 75% of what children will learn in their lifetime is learnt by the age of two!
So, whether your baby is chewing on a board book or your toddler wants you to tell the same story
over and over again, your children are gaining essential knowledge about language and stories that
will also benefit them later as they learn to read.
Even just 15 minutes of reading with your children each day can expose them to 1 million written words
in a year.
Being told stories and being read to at home are the things most likely to help make your children
successful learners at school.
Children who have enjoyable storytelling and reading experiences at home are more likely to be
motivated to read.
For more great benefits on the value of sharing books and stories with children,
visit www.nalibali.org.
3
Section 1: Storytelling
How to tell great stories.................................. 5
Getting the most from your storytelling........... 6
How to tell great stories
Telling stories can be rewarding and fun… and they are a great way to stimulate children’s imagination and
their own use of language. If you grew up having adults tell you stories, then you will probably remember
the thrill of being completely swept up in a story that is well told! Here are some tips to help you be that
kind of storyteller!
• Getting started. It’s always easiest to start with what you know when you first start telling stories, so start with
ones that you know well. These could be the stories that were told to you as a child or ones that you have
enjoyed reading over the years.
• Think about your listeners. Choose a story that will interest your listeners and is appropriate for their ages. For
example: you wouldn’t tell a ghost story to three year olds, but teenagers might enjoy it! Young children love
stories about themselves and about you when you were young especially ones that are funny or about you
being naughty!
• Paint a picture. Help to create a sense of wonder and pictures in the minds of your listeners by using:
Interesting and expressive words
Questions that invite your listeners to participate, for example, ‘And what do you think happened next?’
Gestures, for example, reaching up to show how tall a tree or giant is
Facial expressions, like smiling to show how happy a character was
Expression in your voice: you can give different characters, different voices such as a soft, squeaky voice for
a mouse and a big, booming voice for a giant
Eye contact with your listeners – don’t be shy, look them in the eye!
• Practise! If you are telling a story to a group of children, practise in advance. The best place to practice is in front
of a mirror. You’ll be able to check your facial expressions, gestures and whether you have used too many ‘ums’
or ‘ahs’!
• Fresh and interesting. Keep storytelling exciting for yourself by finding new stories to tell – look in books or on
the Internet. Translate and adapt stories that may only be available in one language.
Write down 3 stories that you love and know well here:
1.
2.
3.
5
Getting the most from your storytelling
Do you want to make sure that your children getting the most out of your storytelling times? Here are ideas
to help deepen and extend their experiences of the stories you tell. Choose one or two of the ideas to do with
each story you tell. Remember that there are no right or wrong ways of doing any of these things – the point
is to encourage your children to explore stories and to express their insights.
Before
• Sing a song or say a rhyme linked to the content
of the story or one of the story characters.
• Ask your children if they know any stories about
the kinds of characters that will appear in the story
you are about to tell. (For example: ‘Do you know
any stories about boys or girls who get lost?).
Invite your children to share their memories as
well - for example: ‘Have you ever been lost?’.
During
• As you tell the story, stop briefly once or twice
to ask ‘what do you think will happen next?’
Thinking about cause and effect deepens
children’s understanding about how things work.
• Watch how your children will love to join in
the telling of the story if you invite them to make
sound effects like knocking on the floor to make
the sound of knocking on a door. They can also
use body movements to imitate parts of the
story - for example, swaying like trees in
the wind.

After
• Many stories focus on how characters deal with
challenges that life sends their way. It is powerful
for children to relate these things to challenges
that they face in their own lives. Encourage
them to make strong connections by saying
something like, ‘When I tell this story, it reminds
me of how important good friends are. What does
it remind you of?’
• Children deepen empathy by putting themselves
in a character’s situation. Help them to do this
by asking them to think about why characters
behaved in particular ways in the story.
• Invite children to retell the story you have told or
to draw or paint a picture of their favourite part
of the story. Or, act out the story with them. These
activities help them to deepen their understanding
of the story.
Visit the Nal’ibali YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TheNalibaliChannel

to watch “Building story bridges to literacy” for more great storytelling tips.
6
Section 2: Reading and
writing with children
Reading with your child.................................. 8
Choosing books for children........................... 9
Sharing books with babies and toddlers....... 10
Reading with 3 to 6 year olds......................... 11
Reading with 6 to 9 year olds......................... 12
Keep them reading!........................................ 13
Writing for real reasons................................... 14
10 tips for reading aloud................................. 15
Helping children through stories..................... 16
Reading with your child
We all love to hear “Read this to me, please!” because it means that our children are interested in books.
But do you sometimes wonder whether there are ways that you could improve your reading-for-enjoyment
times with your children?
The most important thing is for you to enjoy yourselves because that way your
children will learn that reading is a pleasurable activity. So, while there are no right
or wrong way to share books with a child, here are some ideas you might like to try.
• Choosing books. Sometimes let your children choose which books they want you to read. Other times, talk
together about the books to choose and suggest ones that you think will suit their interests.
• Timing is everything. Share stories at times when your children find it easy to settle down like after bath time
or just before they go to sleep at night. Younger children may find it difficult to concentrate for long periods
of time so don’t read for too long. Remember you want to encourage them to develop an interest in stories
and books, so don’t make it a chore!
• Don’t skip the cover. Read the title of the book and the name of the author and illustrator each time you read
a book. This helps them to know that real people just like them write and illustrate stories.
• Ask questions. As you read the story, ask open-ended questions about it. ‘What do you think will happen
next?’ is a great question to help children develop their prediction skills which are essential to being a
successful reader.
• Read it again! If your children ask you to read a story again… and again and again, do it! This allows them to
discover new things about the story each time.
• Reading together is for older children too. Once children can read, you do not have to stop reading to them!
Choose books that are more difficult and complex than the ones they can read on their own.
Again and Again: it’s good to follow children’s lead

and
recreate the magic for them; wanting a book repea
ted is
a sure sign that a child is becoming hooke d on
books,
whether they are 10 months or 10 years old!
8
Choosing books for children
Which books get children begging for more? Younger readers often choose a book because they like the
illustration on the front cover! More experienced readers might choose a book on their favourite subject or by
familiar author. So, how do you choose books for children? Here are some ideas:
1. Ask friends and librarians

Ask your children’s friends what they have enjoyed reading or ask other parents what their children are reading
at the moment. Get to know your local librarians and ask them which authors children of a particular age usually
enjoy.
2. Translate your own stories

Books for babies and pre-schoolers should be in their home language where possible. Have a go at translating
books that have very few words, which are not published in the language you need. Also try to find home
language books for older children – nothing beats reading a story in your home language!
3. Use pictures and photos

Babies like brightly-coloured pictures or photographs of objects or people with simple text. They love feeling the
rhythms of language, and listening to repetition and rhyme.
4. Create stories with wordless books

Wordless books are a great investment because you get the chance to tell a story in your own way to your children
in any language you like. They then can create their own stories too.
5. Find familiar and unfamiliar stories

Choose some books that reflect things that will be familiar to your children – for example, books in which the
homes look like your children’s. Choose other
books that provide new experiences, such as
folktales or stories set in different places and
cultures.
6. Get books to read alone and together

For children who can already read, it’s best to
choose some books that they can read on their
own; some books you can read together and
some books (with more complex language
and plots) that you can read to them.
7. Choose stories about feelings

and fears
Picture books and novels about difficult things
in children’s lives – like the arrival of a new
sibling, illness, parents’ divorce or friendship
challenges – can help them process their
feelings and face their fears.
8. Add information books to the mix

Information books are not just for older
children. Factual books stimulate curiosity and
help children to learn about our world.
For more information on books suitable for different age groups and on different topics,
check out our Recommended Reads in the ‘Book Box’ section on the Nal’ibali website at
www.nalibali.org.
9
Sharing books with babies and toddlers
Why bother to read to babies who can’t yet talk or to toddlers? The simple answer is that it is a wonderful
way to get to know each other, develop your baby’s or toddler’s language and stimulate their minds to have
big thoughts and ideas! Here are some tips for your reading times:
• First books that have simple pictures or photographs of • Board- and cloth books work best when you
babies’ faces usually work well for very young babies. want to allow your baby to handle books on her
own like during nappy changes or when she is in
• Repetition and routine makes young babies feel secure her pram. These books can be chewed, pulled
so you can read the same book over and over again and patted without breaking!
in exactly the same place each day without boring your
baby! You can also say different things (and in different • Older babies enjoy books with flaps, pop-ups and
languages!) to what is written on the page as long as buttons that you press to make sounds. They also
you and your baby are enjoying yourselves. begin to get more involved with what is going
on in the book like pointing to things on the page
• Until your baby can sit by himself, it’s easiest to put or trying to turn the page.
him on your lap with his back against you and to hold
the book in front of him. • Between one and three years, children’s
ability to understand and use language increases
• From about six months of age, most babies also dramatically. Although they continue to enjoy
enjoy books that have songs and rhymes in them. the books from their first year, they often like
Read the words but also talk about what is in stories about other children, animals and familiar
the pictures and name some of the objects and everyday experiences.
colours. Don’t forget to make lots of interesting sounds
too – for example, ‘moo’ when you look at a picture of • Continuing to set aside special times each day to
a cow! read with your toddler will help him or her to learn
that reading is a pleasurable activity!
DID YOU KNOW?

Babies start learning before they are even born! Research shows in the last ten weeks of
pregnancy, babies are not only listening, but also in remembering and learning sounds from
inside the womb! It’s never too early! Source BBC.co.uk.
10
Reading with 3 to 6 year olds
Why read to children not yet at school? Well, because it will help their minds to expand and their hearts to
sing! Read with your children regularly and you will witness just how much they learn and what they can do
with books! Here are some ideas for sharing books together:
• Read the title of the book

and the name of the
author and illustrator each
time you read. The first
time you read a book
with your children, also
ask them if they can guess
what it might be about from
listening to the title and
looking at the illustration
on the cover.
• Read with as much expression

as you can. You may feel a
little odd about doing this
in the beginning but your
children will appreciate it!
• Being able to guess what

comes next as you are read to
is a skill competent readers
use all the time. As you read a
story with your children,
develop their prediction
skills by asking ‘What do
you think will happen next?’at
different points in the story.
• Deepen your children’s understanding by asking ‘What does that remind you of?’, ‘Why do you think he did
that?’ and ‘What would you have done?’. These kinds of questions connect stories to children’s lives and
help them to discover how stories work – both of these are essential for literacy development.
• Introduce your children to as wide a variety of books as possible. Share books by the authors that they most
enjoy, but introduce them to new authors too.
• Repeat children’s favourite stories as often as they ask for them! As they get to know the stories better, invite
them to read along with you. Suggest that they ‘read’ (recite) repeated phrases and sentences like ‘I’ll huff and I’ll
puff and blow your house down’ or ‘Trip, trap, trip trap’.
• Set aside a special time each day when you can enjoy books together. Choose books that you like as well as
ones you think will be of special interest to your children. And, of course, also make time to read the stories that
your children choose themselves.
DID YOU KNOW?

A significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to
books and being read to at home before they start school.
11
Reading with 6 to 9 year olds
All children develop at their own pace and somewhere between the ages of six and nine, many of them
discover the magic of reading! Here are some ideas to support and encourage them. Try out the ideas and
see which they enjoy doing the most. The most important thing is to always make reading a meaningful and
satisfying experience.
Read aloud
Keep reading to your children – you are their inspiring model of how we read. Choose great stories that appeal to
you both. Often these will be ones that your children can’t yet read on their own.
Read to each other

Make time for your children to read to you. Also take turns reading aloud to each other, maybe just before
bedtime. Suggest reading to younger siblings too. This will boost their confidence and provides an opportunity for
children to bond.
Hearing the sounds

Sing songs, say tongue twisters and read rhymes together to get children familiar with the different sounds in
words. This helps to master the skills they need for their own reading and writing.
Go beyond the story

Help your children make connections between what they are reading about, and real life. For example, if they
are reading about a child’s first day at school, link it to their first day at their school. Also, ask them to think about
why characters behaved in certain
ways and what they might have
done if they were in the same
situation. Don’t forget to answer their
questions too!
Choosing books
Help your child choose books that
are the kinds of stories or topics that
interest them. As they start to read
on their own, help them to choose
books that are not too difficult so
that they are able to have lots of
successful reading experiences.
Keep the more difficult books for you
to read to them!
Older children, longer books

Expose older children to chapter
books. Read a chapter or two each
day. Children who are ready for
chapter books very often find a
series they like and then want to
read all the books in that series.
Don’t worry about this – you can
introduce other authors once there
are no other books left in the series
to read!

to watch “Feeling at home with literacy” to see how you can make literacy
learning an everyday part of children’s lives.
12
Keep them reading!
Getting young children into the reading habit is sometimes easier, than helping them to sustain it as they get
older! So, what can you do to help make sure that your children keep reading throughout their childhood
and into their teenage years? Here are some ideas:
• If children have been exposed

to books from an early age,
then often by age 9 they have
developed a preference
for particular types of books.
Some children like stories about
characters in real-life situations;
others like fantasy. Some children
like adventure stories; others
like science fiction. Developing
a preference for a particular
type of story is a completely
natural process and is part of
maturing as a reader so don’t
worry if your children only want to
read one or two types of books!
• Share chapter books by reading

two or three chapters together
each day.
• Remember to share other reading material too: magazine articles, poems and newspapers as well as material
you may have downloaded from the Internet.
• If your children prefer to read on their own, set aside a short time in the week when you all discuss the books
that they are currently reading. Or, find out about what they are reading more informally by asking them what
happened in a previous chapter as they settle down to continue read a book.
• If you have just started reading to children aged 9 or older, and they are not yet able to read independently,
try choosing picture books to read together to start with. Books of fables or traditional stories often have
illustrations in them which make them suitable for late-starters or reluctant readers. Once you are in a routine
of reading together regularly, you can introduce short novels as these often have simpler plots and
fewer lengthy descriptive passages.
• Spend some time each week reading to your children – even when they are competent independent readers.
Choose books that are slightly more advanced than the level at which they are currently reading on their own.
• Some teenagers can’t get enough of books and always seem to have their nose in a book while others often
go through phases of hardly reading at all. Encourage less-regular readers by continuing to expose them
to reading material in subtle ways: buying magazines for them, leaving a newspaper lying
around, suggesting they visit websites with interesting content and continuing to visiting the library or popping
into a bookshop when they just ‘happen’ to be with you! If you have friends with children of the same age, find
out what these children are reading and perhaps suggest these books to your child.
For more reading-for-enjoyment tips and ideas for every age,

visit www.nalibali.org or www.nalibali.mobi on your cell phone.
13
Writing for real reasons
When adults write, they always do so for real reasons: to write a shopping list, to leave a note for someone,
to fill in forms, to communicate with a friend in a letter or email, to create a story. Learning to write includes
learning why we write and how to write so children learn to write most easily when they choose what and
when they want to write! Here are some of the ways that children develop as writers and how you can help
them.
Drawing and painting let young children express their ideas and feelings. Help them understand the connection
between drawing and writing by asking them to talk about their pictures and what they would like you to write
about their pictures. You can write about their picture under it. This helps them to understand that what we say can
be written down.
When children realise that writing communicates meaning, they begin to experiment with it. For example, they:
• try to write their name or yours
• write to label things in their drawings
• write to organise different parts of their daily lives – for example, writing a list of birthday presents they want
• write to communicate messages to important people in their lives.
When children first start to write they usually scribble just like babies babble before they talk! Then they go on to
make up their own letter-like symbols. Eventually they start to use real letters more and more (even though they
may be back to front sometimes!) and even punctuation. These things show that your children are starting to find
writing useful and learning how to do it. Encourage them by asking them what their writing says.
Gradually children start writing in recognisable words, using only real letters. They usually choose letters that they
think match the sounds in the words they are trying to write. Encourage your children’s writing by reading it aloud
or asking them to do so, displaying it around your home and by writing back to them! Over time, their spelling
and handwriting will improve, and they will be people who write to communicate and express themselves.
Bookmaking is a great way to get children writing! Children can take turns to be author
and illustrator and have a great sense of achievement. For tips on how to make books with
children, visit the ‘Reading Club’ section of the Nal’ibali website at
www.nalibali.org. Or visit www.praesa.org.za to download “Chloe’s Story: First Steps into
Literacy” about how one child uses reading and writing as part of her daily activities.
14
10 tips for reading aloud
Reading aloud to children stimulates their imagination and develops their language, curiosity and knowledge
all while they experience the pleasure of stories! But reading aloud well – whether it is to your own children
or a group of children in your class or reading club – is an art! Here are some tips to help you:
1 Choose books to read that you

enjoy but also ones that match
your children’s changing interests.
2 Reading aloud is always a
performance! Put lots of expression
in your voice to create the mood!
3 4
Practice makes perfect so if you’re Try to be aware of your listeners
new to this, read the story aloud and don’t read too fast! Allow
before you read it to a group of time for them to look closely at the
children. illustrations or to create a mental
picture as you read.
5 6
Children may need time to settle
Books with rhyme, rhythm and before you begin reading. Young
repetition make good read-aloud children respond well to a song or
books for young children and to rhyme or guessing what the story
introduce a new language. As they might be about from the cover
get to know the story, encourage picture and title. Ask older children
children to join in as you read. to recall what happened in a novel
at the end of your last read-aloud
session.
7 8
Start by reading the name of the
author (and illustrator) so children We all have to learn how to listen
appreciate that books are created to and engage with a story. Draw
by people just like them! your children into the story: for
example, ask them what they think
might happen next, discuss one of
the pictures or ask them to turn the
pages for you.
9
When you read a picture book,
make sure that all the children
get a chance to see the pictures. If you are reading a novel aloud,
You might like to pause to show read a chapter or part of a chapter
the pictures and allow comments each day. Find a place in the story
or questions as you read or after to stop that will make your listeners
you’ve read the whole book eager for you to continue tomorrow.
through once.
15
Helping children through stories
Have you thought how stories can offer a way of supporting children through some of life’s challenges? As
they grow, children are faced with a variety of situations. Some of these may be exciting, like making new
friends. But very often they can be difficult and children may need your help.
There are many wonderful stories about the on, explore and talk about their personal concerns,
potentially tough situations and dilemmas - like emotions or ideas. Here are some examples for you
starting school, separation, illness, death, divorce, to try:
prejudice and bullying - that children may face. How would you feel if …?
Discovering characters in stories that share similar If I were him, I wonder what I’d do…
experiences to them, helps children feel less alone I wonder why she said/did that?
and may also help them to better understand and What do you think is going to happen next?
cope with a challenging situation. Many children find What would you do if …?
it difficult to identify and communicate how they are What do you do when …?
feeling. Reading stories can help them to understand
themselves better and give you all a great starting • Find other ways related to the story for children to
point for discussion. continue to explore their thoughts and feelings. For
example: retell and act out the story, tell and
Here are some ideas on how to use books and act out your own story, draw a picture about it or
stories to help your children cope with some of life’s inspired by it, create a puppet show or write to
challenges: one of the story characters.
• Find a story that you like with a
character that has to deal with an
issue that your child is facing or one
that might interest him or her. Ask
someone who knows storybooks
well like a librarian, bookshop
assistant, teacher, counsellor or
another parent to help
you choose, or look on the Internet
for suitable stories.
• Read and get to know

the story yourself before
sharing it with your child
or a group of children.
• Think aloud
and ask
open-ended
questions
about the story
during and after
reading. Open-ended
kinds of questions have
no right or wrongs answers
and help children to reflect
For books to help children through grief, illness and loss, visit the ‘Book Box’
section on the Nal’ibali website at www.nalibali.org
16
Section 3: Starting and
running your own reading club
What is a reading club?.................................. 18
Starting a reading club................................... 19
Developing a reading club programme........... 20
Stocking up on reading resources.................. 21
Using Nal’ibali supplements at your club....... 22
Creating print-rich environments.................... 23
Using songs, rhymes and games at your club 24
Making good use of your library..................... 25
12 ways to grow or become part of a
reading club.................................................... 26
Safety guidelines for reading clubs................. 27
What is a reading club?
All over South Africa people are starting reading clubs to get young people reading! Some of these clubs
have been running for a number of years while others are just starting – but what is common to all of them is
that they have caught the story-bug and they don’t want to let it go!
Why do people start reading clubs? These people know how important telling stories, reading and writing are in
our lives. They want to provide regular opportunities for children to enjoy listening to stories, reading and writing.
They know that as children experience stories and books, they will grow to love them and become better at
reading and writing.
So, what is a reading club? It’s a relaxed environment that is more like home than school. Nobody is forced to
come – it’s something you choose to do. It’s a place where people who love stories and books meet regularly to
read, tell stories and talk about what they are reading with children of all ages. Sometimes they also do other fun
activities related to stories and books. And often there’s time for club members to write too… because reading and
writing go together. All of these things can happen in any language – in fact, most of the clubs tell and read stories
in at least two languages!
More about reading clubs

• A reading club can also be a place to learn to read if you can’t read at all or to improve your reading if you don’t
read very well.
• Anyone can be involved: toddlers, children, teenagers, moms, dads, grandparents, volunteers and
other caregivers.
• People who start up and run reading clubs are responsible people who make time regularly to share their
knowledge, time and love of stories and books with children.
• Some clubs are big with up to 50 children in them. They meet in large venues like the ones you will find at
schools, libraries and community centres. Other clubs are smaller, like ones where adults host small reading
groups in their homes for five or six children who live with or near them.
• Some clubs are even started and run by children and teenagers in their homes or at school during breaktime
or after-care.
• Other clubs meet as part of a Sunday School programme at church, at Temple or Mosque, or as part of the
after-school care programme at school. There are even clubs especially for babies and toddlers at clinics!
Visit the ‘Reading Club Basics’ section at www.nalibali.org or www.nalibali.mobi

for ideas to start or grow your own reading club. You can also visit
www.youtube.com/TheNalibaliChannel to watch “The Vulindlela Reading Club”
to see a reading club in action.
18
Starting a reading club
So you’re inspired to start a reading club? There’s no single correct way of doing this. You need to do what is
easiest for you because that way you are more likely to be able to keep the club going and growing! Here
are some ideas to guide you:
Who?
Reading clubs are best run by
people who love stories and books
and want to help children grow to love
stories and reading. You don’t have to know a Where?
lot about stories yourself – you’ll learn about the A reading club can happen
wonderful world of children’s stories by getting
anywhere that is quiet and safe
involved in a club. Most reading
clubs are run by volunteers, – at school, after-care, a library,
so you don’t get paid a community hall or a clinic.
money. Your payment Start one in someone’s house or
is in the fun you have
garage, at Sunday School or your
and the satisfaction
that you are making mosque or temple – wherever is
a difference! easiest for you!
When?
A reading club can meet How many?
anytime that is convenient. It Decide how many volunteers you can
can last for half an hour, or
two hours. It’s up to you! Most
find to help you organise activities at
reading clubs take place once your reading club. Use this to help you
a week. You could meet more, decide how many children you can
but it shouldn’t be less! accommodate: usually five children per
adult works well. The fewer children you
have, the more attention you can give
What? each of them. It’s a good idea to start
Reading clubs need an open
small - even five children with an adult is
space to meet in. Something to drink and
eat is always good, if possible. And a reading club. Then you can grow your
cushions and carpets are more comfortable club over time, if you want to!
than desks and chairs. But reading can also
happen under a tree, lying on the grass, or
anywhere else that feels right. Mostly, you
need good reading material to keep
everyone interested – picture books; novels;
information books; poetry; rhymes
and songs; newspapers
and magazines.
Once you have started your club, don’t forget to tell us about it. Visit www.nalibali.org or
www.nalibali.mobi to register your reading club with the Nal’ibali network.
19
Developing a reading club programme
Do you need some help with reading club activities? Here are some suggestions. Certain activities are great
to do each time you meet. Choose from the other activities depending on how they link with the books and
stories you are sharing and how much time you have. Change some activities each week to help keep your
reading club sessions fresh and interesting and to encourage the children to attend regularly!
Games and songs: These are

fun ways to start a session. Teach
the children the games and songs
that you used to play and sing as a
child and play ones they know too.
Sing songs in the home languages
of all the children and in other
languages.
Reading aloud and storytelling:

Read aloud and tell a story in each
session to share adventures and
experiences that real life doesn’t
offer. Children will become excited
and curious about new topics so
they’ll be eager to learn… and their
vocabularies will grow too!
Reading together and alone: Let

children who can already read,
share books together in small
groups or pairs. They can also read
to other children in the club who are not yet reading. Join in by letting a child read to you or by reading to a small
group of children. Sometimes also let children spend time alone with a book, reading silently or looking at the
pictures and telling their own story. Spending time with books in these ways encourages children to choose and
share books they are interested in.
Talking about books: Introduce new books by showing them to the children and telling them a little bit about
each one to get them curious and keen to read.
Writing: Give children different opportunities to write. They can make their own books to read themselves and
share with others; write about books they have read or make greeting cards for friends and family. Offer to
help children who don’t yet have the confidence to write on their own by writing down what they tell you.
Art, craft and drama: Encourage the children to paint or draw pictures, make puppets or other objects related
to the story you have read or told. Or, allow time for the children to act it out.
Check out the resource section on pg 31 for your

pull-out guide to running successful
reading club sessions!
20
Stocking up on reading resources
Children learn to read by reading! Although this sounds obvious, we often forget the age-old example: If you
plant a seed, you must keep watering it so that it grows into a strong plant. It is the same with reading. Once
the seed of reading has been planted, you need to nurture it so that their love of reading grows stronger.
Another important wisdom is that children learn to love reading by reading what they love. So, you’ll need to make
sure that your reading club has lots of interesting things to read if you want to nurture children’s love of reading.
Books are the most important resource for a reading club, but there are many other resources to use or adapt:
posters, comics, greeting cards, magazines, newspapers and material from the Internet. With a little imagination
and time, you can make any text into something fun to read! Here are some ideas to help you.
• Buy books. Organise events, like a braai or cake sale, to raise money to buy the books you want for your club.
• Go bargain hunting. Try bargain bookshops, second-hand bookshops and charity book sales where the books
are cheaper. Explain to the bookshop manager that your reading club needs books. Ask for a discount.
• Borrow books. Your local public library or school library are great sources of free reading resources. Get all
the children and volunteers in your club to join the library so that you can borrow lots of different books.
Check that your library stocks books in the languages of your members, or ask the librarian to order books
in these languages. Remember to teach your members to treat library books with extra care so that they can
be enjoyed by lots of other people! If your club is at a school without a library, contact Equal Education’s Bookery
for help with setting up one (www.equaleducation.org.za or 021-387 0022).
• Get books as gifts. Ask reading club members, family, friends and people you work with to donate a book to
your club on their birthday.
• Find book donors. Some organisations donate books to reading clubs. For example, Biblionef South Africa
donates children’s books in different languages (www.biblionefsa.org.za or 021-531 0447). Ask all the schools
in your area to collect books for your club. Remember to make sure that all donated books are appropriate for
your members.
• Swap books. Link up with other reading clubs you know and arrange to exchange books with them for a while.
• Make books. Create your own bilingual books using the mini-book pages in the Nal’ibali newspaper
supplements. You will find these in the Sunday Times Express (Western Cape), the Sunday World (Free State,
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal) and the Daily Dispatch and The Herald (Eastern Cape). Or go to the ‘Resources’
section of the Nal’ibali website at www.nalibali.org to download past editions of the supplement.
• Create story cards. Cut out the longer stories in the ‘Story corner’ section of the Nal’ibali newspaper
supplements. Many of these are in two parts. Paste each part onto either side of an A4 sheet of cardboard and
cover this with plastic or place it in a plastic sleeve.
• Become story writers. Write your own stories for and with children. Children are a walking, talking resource,
with their own rich stories just waiting to be told, written down and read.
• Be story miners. Look for stories in newspapers and magazines that you think would interest members of your
reading club. Cut them out and use them to create story cards.
DID YOU KNOW?

Experts say children need to hear 1000 stories as part of starting to learn to read. That
may sound overwhelming, but can be made easier by reading just 15 minutes a day with
your children and collecting a range of reading materials like the examples above.
21
Using the Nal’ibali supplements at Five easy ways to use the Nal’ibali
supplements at your reading club
your club
1. Choose one of the mini-books
Reading clubs across South Africa are sharing with us how they or zig-zag books to use in a read-
are using the Nal’ibali supplements. Clubs use them in different aloud session. Let the children
ways depending on their own book supply and the other follow in their own copies as you
resources they have, as well as the age range of the children. read to them.
Here are some ideas you might like to try:
2. Use some of the ‘Get story active’
• Make resources to use again. Take the mini-book pages (pages ideas as reading club activities.
3 – 6) out of the supplement and on your own or with the children
make these into books for the club. Use the longer ‘Story corner’ 3. Become familiar with the ‘Story
stories (on page 8) to create story cards by pasting them onto corner’ stories and then tell them
pieces of card and covering them with plastic. to the children.
• Support biliteracy. Both you and the children can have fun 4. Let older children read the ‘Story
learning to read in two languages by reading the mini-books first corner’ stories on their own or to
in your most familiar language and then in the other one. younger children.
• Store stories. Find something to store your supplement books 5. Get as many copies of the
and story cards in – like a shoe-box – and then keep them in supplements as you can. Cut
a special place at the club, so that the children know where to them up to create the mini-books,
find them if they want to read or borrow them. zig-zag books and longer stories.
Create a lending library for
• Take them home. Create a lending library for reading club reading club members so
members so that they can borrow the books and story cards that they can borrow these books
to read at home with family members. Also, how about sharing and read them at home with
information with the children’s parents and other caregivers by family members.
sending home page 1 of the supplement for them to read?
• Read to a group. Choose one of the mini-books from the

supplement to use in a read-aloud session. Let the children follow
in their own copies as you read to them. Then try some of the ‘Get
story active’ activity ideas - they extend and deepen the children’s
understanding of the story.
• Read alone and in pairs. Let the children choose which book or
story card they would like to read with a volunteer or partner.
Invite older children to also read on their own or to younger
children.
• Tell stories. Become familiar with the ‘Story corner’ stories and
then use these stories for storytelling.
• Spread the word. Children can make their own little libraries at
home by collecting the supplement stories. Older children might
like to start small book clubs of their own by inviting other children
to come to their homes to share the supplement stories.
For back copies of the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment supplement,

visit the ‘Supplement’ section at www.nalibali.org - where you can
also download supplements in other languages.
22
Creating print-rich environments
Some environments are print rich. They are full of print that is used and displayed for different purposes –
signs, notices, advertisements, magazines, newspapers, books, timetables, posters, letters, cards and so on.
These may be in one language, or in two or more languages.
Some environments have very little print. Others have none at all. It is easier for children to learn to read and write
in an environment that has lots of print in it because it shows them what reading and writing can be used for. Here
are some ideas for how to make your reading club’s meeting place a print-rich environment.
Posters
• Make your own posters using drawings or pictures from old
magazines and newspapers. You can write your own message or
slogan in one, two or more languages.
• Make posters using rhymes, songs and riddles in different

languages. Ask the children and their family members for
suggestions and use ones you know.
• Read them with the children, pointing to the words as you read.
• Encourage the children to read and re-read them by themselves

or with friends.
• Allow the children to copy the posters and make their own small
versions to take home and share with their families.
• Display posters where the children can see them easily. Remember to replace them regularly so that the
children do not become bored by them.
Alphabet charts
Alphabet charts let children see what letters exist, and you can use them to help match letters to sounds. Make
and display different kinds of alphabet charts. Draw pictures for each letter that would be meaningful to the
children at the club – or better still, ask each child to draw a picture for each letter and use these to create your
own alphabet charts. Children love to make an alphabet picture of themselves using the first letter in their name.
Lots to read
Be a collector of things to read that others have finished reading! But make sure that you will want to use whatever
you collect. Collect newspapers and magazines, menus from take-away outlets, information pamphlets, train or
bus timetables and old greeting cards. These sometimes contain interesting things to read, can be props to act
with or can be cut up and used by the children when they make their own cards, pictures, etc. Ask friends and
family to donate a book to your reading club when it is their birthday.
Be a role model
One of the reading club volunteer’s tasks is to be a role model for reading and writing. Read to and with the
children. Write for and with the children.
Try this!
n’s
Display and read the childre
alou d so they kno w you are
writing
interested in their writing.
23
Using songs, rhymes and games at your club
What games did you play when you were a child? Do you remember playing with other children from your
family and community? Do you remember the fun you had and what you learnt without even realising it?
And what songs or rhymes did you love to sing or say? Even as adults we often sing – perhaps you sing along
to your favourite songs on the radio or you sing when you are in the bath!
Play is the work of childhood. All children need plenty of opportunities to play because it feeds their imaginations
and develops their problem-solving, social and language skills.
Why use songs, rhymes and games?

• Children learn most easily through play and having fun.
• Songs, rhymes and games develop children’s home language skills and are a natural way for them to learn a
second language.
• They validate children’s knowledge and experiences and this builds self-esteem, which is so important
for learning.
• When adults participate in songs and games with children, it builds a sense of trust and strengthens the bond
between them.
• Children struggle to learn when they are anxious, under pressure or scared. Songs and games relax children.
How to use songs, rhymes and games

• Use body movements and actions that fit the words of the song or rhyme.
• Print or write up the words of the songs for children to read as they sing. Then point to the words as you sing or
say them. You can do this even if the children cannot yet read or write because seeing written words being used
will help them learn how we read.
• Use bilingual games, songs and rhymes to help children learn a second language.
Where to find songs and rhymes

• Teach children the songs and rhymes that you learnt as a child.
• Use songs everyone knows and change the words to reflect your children’s experiences.
• Make up your own songs or rhymes based on the stories you read.
• Ask children to teach you the songs and rhymes they know and let them make up their own songs and rhymes.
• Borrow illustrated books of rhymes from your library.
and
For examples of songs, games
r club, go to
rhymes to use in you
page 35 of the ‘Res ource’ sect ion.

for examples of songs and games to enjoy at your reading club.
24
Making good use of your library
When you were growing up were you lucky enough to have a library at your school or near where you lived?
Did you ever visit it and use it? And, what experiences of using the library are you offering your children as
they grow up?
In South Africa, far too many people still do not have access to libraries but those of us that do have a wonderful
resource to draw on and to expose our children to. Research published by the National Literacy Trust in the UK
shows that there is a definite link between children and young people who use libraries and good reading skills –
young people who use the library are nearly twice as likely to be above-average readers than those who don’t.
Here are some opportunities that libraries offer your children:
• The more books that children read, the better readers they become, so it is important for them to have access
to lots of books. Most libraries stock information and fiction books as well as magazines and many keep
them in special children’s and teen sections. Some libraries also lend CDs and DVDs, and study guides to
help teenagers with their studies. We all know that books are expensive and libraries offer a
wider variety of reading material than we could ever own on our own – and it is free! Many libraries
have books and other materials in more than one South African language. You can use books in your language
to develop your children’s home language and books in one or two other languages to introduce them to other
South African languages. (Remember: If your library doesn’t have books in your language, ask the librarian to
order some next time he or she places an order for books!)
• Weekly or fortnightly trips to the library help your children to have a regular ‘date’ with books and this helps to
get them into the habit of reading – something that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives!
• Some libraries offer activities for children that are designed to get them having fun with books. Look out for
storytelling times, puppet shows and school holiday programmes at your library and then take your children
along to participate.
• Learning how to use the library is an important skill. When your children are looking for books by a particular
author or on a favourite topic, encourage them to ask for help from library staff. Remember though that
librarians can point out what is available but you may still need to help younger children select the books they
wish to borrow.
• If you run a reading club, the library is a great source of reading material for your club – you can make sure
that the children get to read a wide variety of books and it doesn’t cost you a cent! Ask the librarian in charge
if you can make block loans of a greater number of books than the average user is able to borrow from the
library. Then visit the library on a weekly or fortnightly basis to exchange the books you have borrowed for
other ones. Remember to teach reading club members to treat library books with extra care so that they can be
enjoyed by lots of other people!
Arrange to visit your local library as a reading club

outing. You could ask the librarian to arrange a special
story activity for the children and to show them around
the library.
25
12 ways to grow or become part of a reading club
Getting involved in a reading club is really very simple! All you have to do is think about what you are able
to offer – time, skills, transport, resources or ideas – and then get in touch with an existing club near you to
find out how to become involved and what kind of support it needs. Here are 12 different ways to become a
reading club friend:
1. Become a reading club facilitator at an existing club. You’ll need to commit to attending club sessions each
week where you’ll share stories with the children and lead other activities. You’ll also participate in the planning for
each session with other facilitators.
2. Be a reading club volunteer. Maybe you don’t want to lead activities or are not able to commit to coming each
week, but still want to help out at a reading club. You could volunteer to attend once or twice a month where you
would join in the activities and assist the children and facilitators. For example, you might read with children during
a shared reading time or help a child to choose a story to read.
3. Donate books and other reading material. Reading clubs need lots of books in African languages and in
English, as well as other reading material like newspapers and magazines. How about donating a book to a club
once a month or on your children’s birthdays? Or, buy/collect extra copies of the newspaper with the Nal’ibali
supplement in it to donate to a club
4. Start a book drive. Find out what kind of books the club already has and wants, and which language/s would
be most useful. Donating a few books at a time is fine – especially if the books come recommended
5. Help organise books. Many clubs welcome help in listing and cataloging books, as well as in developing
workable systems for displaying and lending books.
6. Review and promote special stories. Volunteers may welcome suggestions about appropriate stories that
cover specific themes, such as bullying, abuse, love, kindness or ones that may work particularly well for certain ages.
7. Help provide equipment. Many clubs offer drawing and writing activities and welcome equipment like paper,
exercise books, pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, chalk, crayons, koki pens, scissors, glue and glitter. Collect
recycled paper, go through your stationery drawer or buy some items and drop them off at a club. Dressing up
clothes and other ‘story-props’ are wanted by some clubs that support children, especially but not only young
children, to explore stories through play and drama.
8. Help with transport. If you own a car, consider helping lift volunteers and children to and/or from the reading
club, where necessary or on outings. And make yourself available to assist the reading club in cases of emergency
(transport to nearby hospital/clinic).
9. DIY. You can do small things to make a reading club’s venue comfortable and inviting. Make cushions for the
children to sit on and provide blankets, or help to put up book shelves and paint the walls.
10. Fill hungry tummies. Many reading clubs supply the children with a healthy snack because it’s hard to
concentrate if you are hungry! Consider making a donation of food like fruit or money to help sustain a club’s
snack-fund.
11. Donate money. Money donated to a club can be used to buy books and equipment as well as pay for outings.
Every little bit helps!
12. Be a reading club ambassador. Talk about the reading club in your network (friends, community meetings,
social media, at work, etc.) and collaborate with volunteers to arrange fund raising events.
Visit www.nalibali.org to locate a reading club in your province. Just go to the

‘Support Us’ section of the Nal’ibali website and connect with reading clubs looking
for a helping hand.
26
Safety guidelines for your reading club
Whether a reading club is small or large, it needs to be a safe space for the children who attend as well as
for volunteers and visitors. Here are some guidelines to help you run a reading club that does all it can to
protect everyone concerned:
1. Venue
• Make sure the venue is safe and child friendly. For
example, no poisonous substances, dangerous
equipment or exposed wires should be in reach of
any children.
• Toilets must be clean and toilet paper available at
every session, as well as soap and water for hand washing.
• Everyone needs access to fresh water at every session.
2. Permissions and Indemnities

Parent or guardian’s written permission must be obtained:
• To confirm their children’s attendance at the reading club.
This form should include the operation times of the club (what time the session begins and ends), the day(s)
of the week when the reading club meets and a contact number for the reading club organiser and the
parent or guardian to be reached in case of an emergency.
• For special events or occasions, to appear in reading club photos and video material, going on outings, etc.
Make sure parents/guardians know that:

• They are responsible for transporting children to and from the reading club.
• They are responsible for providing information about allergies and chronic illness (asthma, epilepsy, etc.) to
the reading club organisers or volunteers.
• Children without indemnity forms cannot travel/go on outings.
• Very young children must be accompanied to the reading club by older siblings or guardians.
• While organisers of the club and volunteers will do everything possible to help the children arrive and leave
safely, they are only responsible for the safety of the children at the reading club. It is ultimately the
responsibility of the parent or guardian to ensure their child is attending the reading club.
• Parents /guardians are aware they can attend reading club sessions and that their involvement
is encouraged.
3. Valuables and Money
• There should be no exchange of monies between children
and volunteers, and children and children for reading club
access or activities.
• The reading club cannot be held responsible for loss or
thefts during sessions.
4. General Safety and Wellbeing

• Make sure you know who is attending each session: keep
a written register of all children attending each session.
• Close (or lock) gates/doors once your session has begun,
at an agreed upon time to avoid strangers walking in.
• Make sure all equipment and supplies are secure.
• Never leave children alone without trusted adult supervision.
• A trusted adult or older child should take younger ones to the
toilet and assist them if necessary.
• Provide the children with a snack and a drink if the session lasts
longer than an hour.
• Watch carefully for children who may not hear or see well and
inform parents if you are concerned that they need hearing or
eye tests.
27
5. First Aid
• Always have a fully stocked first-aid kit on the premises. At least one person should know where it is,
what’s in it and how to use it too.
• Display up-to-date details of local emergency services.
• Keep a list of children with allergies, chronic illness
(asthma, epilepsy, etc.) and the contact details of their
parents/guardians.
• Volunteers should not be expected to give medicine
to children.
6. Volunteers
• Meet new volunteers before they attend reading club sessions to find out about them and assess their
experience and interest.
• Take on new volunteers on recommendation from others you trust and find out about new volunteers from
trusted community members.
• Mentor and support new volunteers until you are sure they know how to interact appropriately with the
children of different ages.
• Let new volunteers work alongside more experienced ones who know the ropes until they are confident.
Volunteers need to:
• Agree to the rules of the club.
• Be first to arrive and last to leave.
7. Discipline
• Reading clubs use positive reinforcement and role
modelling. Children and adults attend voluntarily
and are expected to treat one another with respect
and care.
• Reading clubs tolerate no physical aggression or
bullying of any kind by volunteers or children. No
corporal punishment is used.
• If children or volunteers misbehave, send them
home. (Ask them to come back another day if you
feel this is appropriate). This is the most severe
discipline we give at reading clubs.
8. Visitors
Welcome visitors who want to find out about how reading clubs work,
but ask them to observe the following:
• Arrange visits in advance with reading club
organisers
• Become aware of the rules of the club and
conform to these.
• Ask permission to share their use of photos and videos.
• The reading clubs cannot be held responsible for loss or theft of valuables.
Go to page 37 to get a sample permission slip to give

to the parents or caregivers of the children in your
reading club – for your peace of mind, and theirs!
28
Section 4: Resources
Your reading club roadmap...........…............. 30
Your guide to successful reading
club sessions................................................... 31
Planning checklist for your reading
club session..................................................... 32
Make-your-own bookmark.…........................ 33
‘Books I’ve read’ reading log.......................... 34
Games, songs and rhymes............................. 35
Reading club permission slip.......................... 37
Nal’ibali Resources
Your reading club roadmap

It doesn’t really matter where, when or for how long your reading club meets – you need to do
whatever suits you best. What does matter though is how the time you spend together at the
club is used − this takes planning!
Use the below to help you map out what activities you can offer, how to use the time and resources
you have available to grow a love of stories, and who will help you run your reading club sessions.
A matter of time. How long will each session be? How much time do you need for each activity?
Make sure you allow enough time for the children to complete activities so that they do not feel
rushed. Reading club times should feel relaxing, even though there are exciting things to do!
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Activities. What activities will you offer at every session? What other activities will you do once a
month or on special occasions? It is good to get a balance between activities in which children can
move around, like games, songs and drama, and ones in which they need to sit still, like reading
books and listening to stories. Also remember to vary some of the activities in each session to keep
your club’s sessions fresh and interesting!
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What you need. What stories will you tell and/or read? Do you need any materials other than the
stories for the activities?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Who will do what. How many volunteers will there be? Who will run each activity?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Finding club members. Where will the children come from? Do they go to the school, church,
mosque or temple where you will hold your club sessions? Or, are they regular visitors to your library
or children who live nearby to you? Will you need someone to help you invite children to come to
the club?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Sparking children’s potential through storytelling and reading
30
Your guide to successful reading

club sessions
Do Don’t
• Find out which libraries have good selections • Force children to read a book they don’t want
of books in all the languages of the children in to. Rather help them choose another.
your reading club.
• Force children to answer questions after the
• Make sure you regularly use the home story or write about it, if they don’t want to.
languages of the children as well as other Rather let them choose a story activity
languages they might be learning. they would enjoy more or choose another
book to read.
• Choose stories, games, songs and other
activities that you enjoy. If you enjoy • Make children read aloud in front of others
something, it will show in the way you if they don’t feel confident to do so. Rather
present it! suggest they read to you or on their own.
• Invite parents to attend your sessions. • Read the same books over and over if you and
the children are tired of them. Swap books with
• Give children chances to read aloud if they friends, ask for advice from libraries about
would like to. fresh stories to read for different age
groups and find out where you can get
• Allow children to choose a book for you to book donations.
read to them, and for them to read
quietly to themselves or with friends. • Say or do anything that might make children
feel ashamed or inadequate. Rather
• Write notes about your favourite stories, ask praise children for what they have
the children to write about theirs and share achieved and encourage them to try the
recommendations with parents and next step.
volunteers.
• Be prepared to reread old favourite stories

when children ask you to.
• Encourage children to experiment and to try

new things.
• Find out which organisations can offer

workshops to you, the volunteers and/or
the children.
31
Planning checklist for your

reading club session
As you plan your session, take into account factors like the space you are meeting in, ages of
your children, the size of your group, and time available.
Decide what games and songs will be used
Select a story or stories to read and/or tell
Decide who will read and/or tell the stories
Work out how much time you will need for games, songs and stories
Decide what writing and other activities linked to the stories are going to be done
Decide whether you will invite the children to read in pairs and independently in this session
Work out how much time you need for the activities or paired and independent reading
Go over which languages you will be using for each of the stories and activities
Make sure you have written down your plan for the session
Check that you have all the materials you need for the session
Organise the children’s snack (if you offer this)
Confirm which volunteers will be attending.
32
Make-your-own bookmark
My name is............................................
My favourite story is..............................
33
Books I’ve Read
Story rating key:
My name:_______________________________________ * Didn’t like this story
** Liked this story
*** Loved this story
My reading club:_________________________________ **** One of our favourite stories
Date Name of book or story Who did you read with? How much did
Example: myself, you enjoy the
my teacher, my parents, book or story?
my friends, my
younger brother/sister * ** *** ****
34
Games, songs and rhymes

Examples of games
Here are three games to play with children: “River bank”, “People to people” and “Who stole the cookie
from the cookie jar”?
1. River bank
Draw 2 parallel lines, a metre or two apart. Between the lines is the “river” and on either side of the lines,
is the “bank”. People line up along the banks and one person calls out “river” and everyone jumps into the
“river”. When the game leader calls out “bank”, everyone jumps over the lines onto the “bank”. The game
leader tries to trick people into jumping the wrong way.
The game leader can use two languages. Example: Emlanjeni (river) and Enyeleni (Bank)
2. People to people
This game helps develop vocabulary in a non-threatening, fun environment. Ask the children to stand in
a circle and to pair up with a friend. Have one couple stand in the middle of the circle – this couple calls
out the instructions. These instructions require that different body parts of each one of the friends connect.
Examples of instructions:
• back to back
• elbow to elbow
• foot to foot
• shoulder to shoulder.
Then get more complicated:

• ankle to knee
• knee to back
• head to leg
• nose to knuckle.
Then the couple in the middle shouts “people to people”. Each person is required to find a new partner
and the last pair to get together goes in the middle.
3. Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

Give each child a number. Then sing the following song:
Leader: Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? Number 1 stole the cookie from the cookie jar.
Number 1 answers: Who me?
Leader: Yes you!
Number 1 answers: Not me!
Leader: Then who?
Number 1 answers: Number 2 stole the cookie form the cookie jar.
Number 2 answers as number 1 did previously etc.
35
Examples of songs and rhymes:

Some reading clubs have their own songs. You might want to create a song for your reading club.
Here is the Vulindlela Reading Club’s song.
Vulindlela (Open the way)

Hamba Vulindlela (Go Vulindlela)
Niphethe imbewu ngesandla (Carrying seeds in your hands) x2
Ilizwe linijongile (The world is watching you)
Hambani (Go)
Nambani (Go)
Hambani (Go)
Hambani (Go)
Hambani nihlwayela (Go and plant the seeds)
Here are examples of other songs and rhymes that some reading clubs use:
1. Ten fat sausages
In this song, children learn how to count backwards. When singing the song, use appropriate actions.
Also use
your fingers to represent the number of sausages sizzling in the pan each time.
Ten fat sausages sizzling in the pan,

One went POP and the other went BANG!
There were nine fat sausages sizzling in the pan.
REPEAT until…
There were no fat sausages sizzling in the pan.
2. Shake my sillies out

Children love this song! Let them do the actions as they sing along.
I’m gonna shake, shake, shake my sillies out,

Shake, shake, shake my sillies out,
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
And wiggle my waggles away.
I’m gonna jump, jump, jump my jiggles out (x3)

I’m gonna clap, clap, clap my crazies out (x3)

I’m gonna yawn, yawn, yawn my sleepies out (x3)

36
Reading club sample permission slip
Dear Parent or Guardian, 
The __________________________________________________________
insert name of reading club reading club is offering free
storytelling and reading-for-enjoyment sessions and we would like your child to attend. We also invite
you to attend with him/her, for part or all of the sessions.
This is an exciting opportunity for your child to develop a love of reading and to get support for his/her
literacy learning. It will also contribute to success in his/her whole educational career. It can also be a
time for you to enjoy and relax with your child.

When? Every ___________________. Each session will begin at __________ and end at ___________.
insert day of the week
Where? _____________________________________________________________________________
insert full physical address here
Who runs the reading club? ____________________________________________________________

insert name of organisation, lead volunteer or coordinator
What are the reading club goals?

• To expose children to many types of storytelling and story-reading in _______________________
insert language
and English
• Help children grow to love reading and writing
• Inspire children to want to read and write for themselves
• Get children reading and writing.
What happens at the reading club?

• Big group storytelling
• Games and songs
• Small group reading and writing
Attached is a permission slip for you to sign. Please return it to the reading club organiser
If you have any questions, please contact _________________________ on______________________.

insert name and cell phone number here
We thank you for your participation and look forward to sharing stories with you and your child.
Actively yours,
______________________________________________________
37
Please read and sign the consent form below to ensure your child’s participation. Then return the
form to the reading club organiser.
PLEASE NOTE:
• Only a parent or guardian can sign the form, and only children who return this form will be admitted
into the reading club programme.
• There is NO fee payable to attend the club.
• Please come with your child on the first day of the reading club and keep coming for some or all of
each session.
• Even if you only come from time to time, you will find out new ways to help your child with reading
at home.
If you do not want your child to attend, please indicate this below.
1. [ ] I give permission for my child to participate in the reading club, from_________ to____________
include times here
every ________________________________________________________________________________
insert day of the week here
2. [ ] I understand that it is my responsibility to ensure my child gets safely to and from the
reading club.
3. [ ] I am happy for photos and video material to be taken of my child participating in reading club
activities.
4. [ ] I give my permission for my child to go on any reading club outings/events.
OR
1. [ ] I do NOT give permission for my child to participate in the reading club.
2. [ ] I do NOT give permission for my child to go on any reading club outings/events.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Child’s Name
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian’s Name
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian’s Emergency Contact Number
If your child has any allergies or medical conditions, please list them below:
_______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________ __________________________
Signed Date
38
Notes
Notes
Connect with N a l'i b a l i
Use the power of stories to inspire children to want to read and write.
Visit our platforms for reading-for-enjoyment resources, literacy tips and children’s stories.
Nal’ibali supplements Nal’ibali on radio

Get your bilingual Tune in to Nal’ibali three times a week
supplement in the on all SABC public stations for
Sunday World, children’s stories in all 11
Sunday Times
official languages. Visit
Express, the
www.nalibali.org
Daily Dispatch
and The Herald. for the full
For participating Nal’ibali radio
provinces visit schedule.
www.nalibali.org.
www.nalibali.org @nalibaliSA
Visit the Nal’ibali Find us on Facebook and Twitter for tips,
website for free updates and awesome competitions.
tip sheets,
literacy blogs,
reading tips,
stories and a
monthly
newsletter!
www.nalibali.mobi mxitapp.com/nalibali
Storytelling and Find us on Mxit for stories in a range of SA
reading tips, languages and weekly reading tips. Go to
reading club http://mxitapp.com/nalibali/signup
support and to get started.
stories in 6
South African
languages –
on your
cellphone!
Sparking children's potential

through storytelling and reading
KEEP IN TOUCH
For more information, visit www.nalibali.org or email [email protected]
Get your bilingual Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment supplement every week
during term time in the Sunday World (Free State, Gauteng and
KwaZulu-Natal); in the Sunday Times Express (Western Cape); and in the Daily
Dispatch and The Herald (Eastern Cape) for children’s stories, literacy tips, and
reading and writing activities to help spark your children’s potential.
For more information and stories in a range of South African languages, visit
www.nalibali.org and www.nalibali.mobi.

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Reading Club

Photography: Ashleigh Heese,

Sparking children’s potential through storytelling and reading.

Section 2: Reading and writing with children 7

Section 3: Reading clubs 17

Section 4: Resources & pull-outs 29

It all starts with a story!

Gestures, for example, reaching up to show how tall a tree or giant is

Facial expressions, like smiling to show how happy a character was

Visit the Nal’ibali YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TheNalibaliChannel

Again and Again: it’s good to follow children’s lead

1. Ask friends and librarians

2. Translate your own stories

3. Use pictures and photos

4. Create stories with wordless books

5. Find familiar and unfamiliar stories

6. Get books to read alone and together

7. Choose stories about feelings

8. Add information books to the mix

DID YOU KNOW?

• Read the title of the book

• Read with as much expression

• Being able to guess what

DID YOU KNOW?

Read to each other

Hearing the sounds

Go beyond the story

Older children, longer books

Visit the Nal’ibali YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TheNalibaliChannel

• If children have been exposed

• Share chapter books by reading

For more reading-for-enjoyment tips and ideas for every age,

1 Choose books to read that you

• Read and get to know

More about reading clubs

Visit the ‘Reading Club Basics’ section at www.nalibali.org or www.nalibali.mobi

Games and songs: These are

Reading aloud and storytelling:

Reading together and alone: Let

Check out the resource section on pg 31 for your

DID YOU KNOW?

• Read to a group. Choose one of the mini-books from the

For back copies of the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment supplement,

• Make posters using rhymes, songs and riddles in different

• Encourage the children to read and re-read them by themselves

Why use songs, rhymes and games?

How to use songs, rhymes and games

Where to find songs and rhymes

Visit the Nal’ibali YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TheNalibaliChannel

Here are some opportunities that libraries offer your children:

Arrange to visit your local library as a reading club

Visit www.nalibali.org to locate a reading club in your province. Just go to the

2. Permissions and Indemnities

Make sure parents/guardians know that:

4. General Safety and Wellbeing

Go to page 37 to get a sample permission slip to give

Your reading club roadmap

Sparking children’s potential through storytelling and reading

Your guide to successful reading

Dear Parent or Guardian, 

If you have any questions, please contact ___ on.