Otto Foundation South Africa

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Otto Foundation South Africa

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Improving literacy by fostering a love of reading.

14/10/2026

Shaking our feathers for the opening of the Amafu Libraru tomorrow! 🐣

14/10/2026

How do we encourage children to read for enjoyment?

That’s where our Reading Roots come in.

🌱 Make sure children have a safe place to read 🌱

Reading corners and school libraries providing dedicated reading spaces signal to children that reading is an important activity that deserves to be celebrated and prioritised.

Nancy Kline describes ‘place’ as a “silent form of appreciation”. She argues that physical environments that are purposefully designed for particular activities or groups of people are “places that say back to people, ‘You matter.’ People think at their best when they notice that the place reflects their value to the people there and to the event”.
When reading feels safe, comfortable and inviting, children are more likely to return to books and build lasting reading habits.

14/10/2026

Books are best when they’re shared with friends.

14/10/2026

How do we encourage children to read for enjoyment?

That’s where our Reading Roots come in.

🌱 Create connection around books 🌱

Programmes to promote reading often strive to promote “sustained solitary reading”, and in the “drop and read” programmes the idea is for learners to have time to read on their own.

In promoting reading for enjoyment it is, however, critical to acknowledge that reading is also a social activity.

Children are more likely to read when they have opportunities to discuss books with their peers and with caring adults.

14/10/2026

Congratulations to our readers at The Protea Library!

In Term 3, nine schools in the District Six and C*D area participated in the Otto Foundation’s Reading Relay. The Reading Relay is a fun and exciting way for us to encourage healthy competition and reading for JOY 🤩

This year, Walmer Street Primary School read and reviewed the most books. We celebrated their achievement with an ice cream party 🍦

Celebration of all the wins - big and small - is important for encouraging a reading culture 🌱

Next week, we will be announcing the winners of the Otto Foundation Children’s Book Award. The shortlisted titles were the books used for the Reading Relay, and the children’s reviews formed an important part of the judging process.

13/10/2026

How do we encourage children to read for enjoyment?

That’s where our Reading Roots come in.

🌱 Make reading fun and celebrate the wins 🌱

Celebrating reading as something valuable helps children see it as more than a school task - it becomes an enjoyable and meaningful part of everyday life.
Recognising children’s reading achievements, big or small, builds confidence and motivation, encouraging them to keep reading and to take pride in their progress and in their identity as “readers”.

13/10/2026

A huge thank you to our visitors from Kamvalethu, who popped into The Rainbow Library yesterday to spend time with our young readers there.

Thank you for giving so generously of your time to read, chat, and help our readers with their termly book reviews.

For our readers, it was an opportunity to spend time with interested and engaging grown ups, who believe in the power of books and reading to change lives. And for the volunteers, it was a beautiful opportunity to see where their generous donations land up, and to remember that behind every donated rand is a smart and eager reader with the world at their feet 🌍

Jenni-Kate Warwick

13/10/2026

How do we encourage children to read for enjoyment?

That’s where our Reading Roots come in.

🌱 Let children write and tell their own stories 🌱

Writing and creative expression are powerful tools for promoting reading for enjoyment. They actively engage readers in the storytelling process, transforming them from passive consumers into imaginative creators.

When children and young people are encouraged to write their own stories, poems, or responses to texts, they begin to see reading not just as an academic task but as a source of inspiration and personal connection.

12/10/2026

🐝 We love LiBee! 🐝

LiBee, City of Cape Town’s library mascot, is one of our favourite guests. Today, she buzzed into The Happy Library to spread her message that the city’s libraries are an accessible way to read more books.

Thank you for celebrating reading for joy, LiBee!

12/10/2026

How do we encourage children to read for enjoyment?

That’s where our Reading Roots come in.

🌱 Role model reading 🌱

Children are more motivated to read when they see others around them reading, when their reading efforts are encouraged, and when they can talk about books with others.

Reading becomes a lifelong habit when children feel part of a community that values and enjoys it - whether that’s friends, parents, caregivers, teachers, or librarians.

Be a reading role model. Share stories, start conversations, and show children that reading is not just important, it is something to love and enjoy.

Address

2 Cambridge Street
Cape Town
7925

Website

http://www.ottofoundation.org/

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