Literacy Blog

I have just achieved one of my ambitions as an early literacy specialist – helping to bring into being several little board books for babies and toddlers in all of our 11 official languages. You may ask why on earth babies and toddlers should get books when they can’t even talk yet, and how can it matter what language to use when the babies obviously...

When we speak or write to each other in the same language, it’s easy to assume that we share the same understandings. Yet we also know that it’s quite possible to 'miss' one another - both as we speak, and when we read what someone else has written. In face-to-face communication, because we are there on the spot, we have a relatively good chance...

Lisa Cohen is a storyteller, facilitator, children’s story author, programme developer, early childhood development advocate and creativity sparker. She is currently the Portfolio Manager of Parenting Programmes at Ilifa Labantwana and Programme Manager for the Our Story, Your Story Project with Clowns Without Borders South Africa. Lisa speaks about her own journey with stories and its personal and political meaning: Story-time with my dad was my...

Nozi Ngomane is a storyteller, writer, mother, daughter, assistant teacher and traditional healer. She is currently a Project Manager for Kwesukela Story Events and Chair of Alexandra Amakhono Project which develops the youth through the arts. This article was written with the support of Patty Akriel. Since the beginning of human development, there has been storytelling, and music was used to accompany it. Some argue that...