World Change Starts with Educated Children.

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In 2016 Room to Read’s team of writer ambassadors is taking

LEADERSHIP FOR LITERACY We invite EDUCATORS to join us! NB These notes supplement information about the annual fundraising campaign, the World Change Challenge, which is led by Tristan Bancks and supported by Room to Read’s team of writer ambassadors. See http://www.tristanbancks.com/2016/04/room-to-read-worldchange-challenge-2016.html for more information.

THE BACKGROUND: We hear a lot about the need for books and literacy among disadvantaged communities in Australia, in particular our indigenous communities. But it is just as important to support similar programs for children in developing countries, particularly those in neighbouring Asia. Teaching these children and their families the value of literacy and education will contribute to greater regional – and global – stability and provide a significant boost to the global economy, also helping to create new markets for Australia. Room to Read is an innovative global non–profit which seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in Asia and Africa by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Since it was founded in 2000, Room to Read has:    

Constructed over 1900 schools Established over 18,000 libraries Published over 1100 new children’s books in 27 local languages Supported more than 30,000 girls in its Girls’ Education Program

By the end of 2015, Room to Read had impacted 10 million children. The next goal is to impact 15 million children by 2020. Room to Read believes that World Change Starts with Educated Children®.

World Change Starts with Educated Children.

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And yet even though Room to Read is only one of the organizations working in this area, there are still 781 million illiterate people in the world, two thirds of them women and children. Up to 1 in 5 people worldwide is struggling with illiteracy and this costs the global economy more than $1 trillion dollars each year. The highest concentration of illiterate people is in South and West Asia – and sub-Saharan Africa.

WHAT EXACTLY IS MEANT BY ILLITERACY? This is the Oxford definition: 1 The inability to read or write 1.1 Lack of knowledge in a particular subject; ignorance Or is it much much more? As educators you will appreciate the profound significance of these words from Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations: ‘Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right . . . Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realise his or her full potential.’ And UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, has said: ‘Literacy is much more than an educational priority – it is the ultimate investment in the future.’

World Change Starts with Educated Children.

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RESPONSES TO THE GLOBAL PROBLEM OF ILLITERACY WHAT IS THE WORLD DOING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? Millennium Development Goals At the beginning of the new millennium, world leaders gathered at the United Nations to shape a broad vision to fight poverty in its many dimensions. That vision translated into an inspiring framework of eight Millennium Development Goals which helped to lift more than one billion people out of extreme poverty. The second of these eight goals addressed education and illiteracy. For more information, see The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2015_MDG_Report/pdf/MDG%202015%20rev%20(Jul y%201).pdf Sustainable Development Goals In 2015 a new set of goals was launched by the UN general assembly, to be supported by governments, international organizations, NGOs and the private sector. The fourth of these goals addresses education: ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.’ For more information, see http://en.unesco.org/sdgs WHAT IS ROOM TO READ DOING? Room to Read’s CEO, Erin Ganju, describes literacy as ‘the foundation for all future learning and the starting point for solving some of the world’s biggest problems – poverty, conflict, disease, intolerance, inequality and exploitation, to name just a few.’ Room to Read has two goals in relation to literacy: to address literacy skills and the habit of reading, to develop independent readers. We want to inspire children to read, expand their minds, and develop a lifelong love for reading and learning. Children who have a strong foundation of literacy skills are more likely to succeed throughout their education, break the cycle of poverty and benefit from opportunities to realise their full potential. Please see the Resources section for a more detailed description of Room to Read’s literacy program, with links to reading materials and visuals.

World Change Starts with Educated Children.

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WHAT CAN YOU DO TO TAKE LEADERSHIP FOR LITERACY IN YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY? THE ACTION PLAN:  Appoint some student Leaders for Literacy  Discuss the concept of leadership and empower your students to engage their peers, their school communities, their families and other groups they belong to (eg their church, their Guide or Scout group)  Raise awareness and funds to help Room to Read provide solutions. Awareness-raising comes first and may take the form of a talk at assembly or a conference for student leaders, with each student then going back to his / her class, sharing their experiences and inspiring their peers to take action.

WHY NOT PLAN AN EVENT AROUND THESE LITERACY CELEBRATIONS! Children’s Book Week – Saturday 20th – Friday 26th August International Literacy Day – Thursday 8th September International Day of the Girl Child – Tuesday 11th October

Anthropologist Margaret Mead said: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’

World Change Starts with Educated Children.

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QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS: What is the difference between complete illiteracy and functional illiteracy? What are some of the things you wouldn’t be able to do if you were functionally illiterate? What benefits do you get from reading? What happens to children who don’t learn to read? Is there a difference between the opportunities for boys and girls in developing countries?

How does illiteracy affect the lives of adults? Think about some of the social and economic problems that may be caused by high illiteracy levels:    

Unemployment Crime Long-term illness Prejudice against women

Why do we need to take leadership for literacy? What are the qualities of a good leader? Identify some good leaders and say why you have chosen them. What do you know about Room to Read’s Founder, John Wood? How has he been a good leader? How do you think YOU might take leadership for literacy?

World Change Starts with Educated Children.

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RESOURCES Room to Read Literacy Program ‘Room to Read’s Literacy Program addresses three key areas that are essential to students’ literacy development: teacher training and support, reading materials, and learning spaces.’ For more information visit http://www.roomtoread.org/literacy 1. Teacher Training and Support Teachers need the knowledge and tools to successfully support their students’ learning in the classroom and beyond. Based on international best-practices, Room to Read trains early-grade teachers in phonics-based teaching methods that can be used interactively with children in the classroom. Literacy facilitators provide regular one-on-one support to teachers in the classroom, providing guidance and support on their teaching and assessment methods (http://www.roomtoread.org/literacy). Video: Training teachers to overcome barriers to literacy in Cambodia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xn-vRLI_Bw. This video demonstrates RtR teaching methods and the power of making learning fun.

2014 Article: Inside Ms Makwela’ s Classroom page 15 https://issuu.com/nrwc/docs/eco_northerly_march2014 2016 Blog: How Fun in the Library Leads to a Habit of Reading http://blog.roomtoread.org/room-to-read/2016/02/students-in-nepal-read-togetherduring-library-period-as-part-of-room-to-reads-literacy-program-how.html. This is a great way to inspire senior students to visit their school library and take part in library activities with younger students.

2. Reading Materials After identifying a lack of high-quality, age-appropriate children's books in local languages, Room to Read began publishing its own children’s books, designed to engage readers on their terms. Stories introduce concepts like basic vocabulary, simple math, and health issues. Local authors and illustrators create the stories which are often field tested by staff with local children before publication. Room to Read can print and distribute copies of locally published books for around $1 per book. Room to Read also creates materials to supplement the standard textbook. This may include letter cards for phonics practice, word cards to help with print recognition, pre-writing exercises to develop motor skills and workbooks to guide remediation exercises. Resources are shared with the governments as well as other NGOs so that best

World Change Starts with Educated Children.

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practices can be incorporated into the government curriculum and scaled to entire regions of the world. Books Published: 1158 Books Distributed: 15,641,734 Download three local language titles from the 10-year anniversary book: http://www.roomtoread.org/document.doc?id=551 Great resource to demonstrate the quality of Room to Read’s local language books. 2015 Blog: The Art of Learning to Read http://blog.roomtoread.org/room-toread/2015/01/artofreading.html. This blog dmonstrates the value of good picture books and how children learn to read.

2014 Blog by writer ambassador, Tristan Bancks: Why Stories Matter http://blog.roomtoread.org/room-to-read/2014/08/whystoriesmatter.html. This is all about the joy of escaping into the pages of a book.

3. Learning Spaces Projects include building all-new classroom blocks to alleviate overcrowding, renovating existing school spaces to improve lighting, safety and ventilation, and establishing dedicated library spaces where students can have fun, positive interactions with books. Room to Read also helps procure child-sized furniture and provide direction on how to arrange learning materials so students can easily access them and practice reading on their own. Through a Challenge Grant, community members are expected to co-invest in the project by providing cash, materials or “sweat equity” (donation of labour). This model sets the stage for long-term sustainability, and gives the local community both a high level of visibility to the project’s progress and a real stake in its success. Libraries Established: 17,534 Schools Constructed: 1930 Video: Building a strong foundation for learning in Tanzania: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=fZ8ltpth_8A. Demonstrates the importance of community engagement in the construction of schools.

2015 Blog: Fun Safe Reading Experiences for Kids in South Africa http://blog.roomtoread.org/room-to-read/2015/08/as-a-child-reading-meant-getting-alashing-if-she-made-a-mistake-now-nomonde-ensures-fun-safe-readin.html Describes how Room to Read develops successful libraries.

World Change Starts with Educated Children.

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Room to Read, General Resources Room to Read website – www.roomtoread.org 2014 Annual Report http://www.roomtoread.org/AnnualReport/2014/ 2016 Blog by Dr Cory Heyman, Room to Read Chief Innovation Officer Why Influencing a Culture of Reading Could Help Solve the Global Education Crisis: http://blog.roomtoread.org/room-toread/2016/03/one-child-one-classroom-one-community-why-influencing-a-culture-of-readingcould-help-solve-the-glob.html. This blog demostrates how Room to Read develops a culture of reading in communities where many members are illiterate.

Other resources:

The World Literacy Foundation report, ‘The Economic and Social Cost of Illiteracy’ Article by Nick Gibb for the TES – ‘Reading far outweighs socio-economic background for impact on pupils’ success’ - https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/nickgibb-reading-far-outweighs-socio-economic-background-impact

CONTACT: Jennie Orchard [email protected] 0413 530 642 Kel Butler [email protected] 0405 514 891 Wendy Rapee [email protected] 0405 107 860