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| The Advisor, Shepparton |
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| Shepp News |
Steven Tito Academy (STA) is a non-government school in Tanzania, established for bright students who cannot afford an English medium school. Please donate! http://www.mycause.com.au/TheStevenTitoAcademyTanzania
Saturday, November 24, 2012
African books for African children
I have learnt many things over the past few years about
teaching reading. One of the most important things is that the books students
read need to be relevant and interesting. When planning and preparing resources
to take with me to Tanzania, I was very aware of the problems faced by young
Tanzanian readers.
While I haven’t research the statistics, my guess is that most picture books, levelled readers, chapter books and other educational books are produced for countries in the developed world, such as Australia, England and the USA. As a consequence, the books tend to portray children with pets, playing in snow, eating pizza and burgers and living with your typical nuclear family of Mum, Dad and a couple of kids. While these books are interesting and indeed relevant for kids in countries like Australia, the same can’t be said for children in developing countries like Tanzania. While the morals and themes of some of these books are relevant to all children, many of the situations, characters and settings in our favourite children’s books are unfamiliar to Tanzanian kids. They have difficulty learning to read when they have little prior knowledge of the topic or concept on which the book is based.
In my opinion, what East African children need are books written by, for or about East Africans. They need books that are relevant to their lives and present the various events that Tanzanian people experience, in different and engaging ways. They need stories that tackle some of the issues that society faces such as: poverty, HIV and AIDS, land degradation and unemployment. They need stories that show the beauty, colour, music and diversity of African nations.
I have tried my best to find a range of books that are relevant and appropriate for young Tanzanian readers, to take with me next year. There are lots out there such as:
While I haven’t research the statistics, my guess is that most picture books, levelled readers, chapter books and other educational books are produced for countries in the developed world, such as Australia, England and the USA. As a consequence, the books tend to portray children with pets, playing in snow, eating pizza and burgers and living with your typical nuclear family of Mum, Dad and a couple of kids. While these books are interesting and indeed relevant for kids in countries like Australia, the same can’t be said for children in developing countries like Tanzania. While the morals and themes of some of these books are relevant to all children, many of the situations, characters and settings in our favourite children’s books are unfamiliar to Tanzanian kids. They have difficulty learning to read when they have little prior knowledge of the topic or concept on which the book is based.
In my opinion, what East African children need are books written by, for or about East Africans. They need books that are relevant to their lives and present the various events that Tanzanian people experience, in different and engaging ways. They need stories that tackle some of the issues that society faces such as: poverty, HIV and AIDS, land degradation and unemployment. They need stories that show the beauty, colour, music and diversity of African nations.
I have tried my best to find a range of books that are relevant and appropriate for young Tanzanian readers, to take with me next year. There are lots out there such as:
- The Jamela series by Niki Daly (about a fun and lively young girl from South Africa)
- Africa is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight and Mark Melnicove (an important book for African and non-African children and adults
- The Village that Vanished by Ann Grifalconi (exposes children to the impact that slavery had on Africa)
- Catch that Goat by Polly Alakija (a colourful tale set in a Nigerian market)
Do you know of any other good African books, preferably about/set in East Africa or Tanzania?
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| A selection of the books about African children and culture that will be coming with me to Tanzania in January. |
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| Babu's Song - by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen |
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| My Rows and Piles of Coins - by Tololwa M. Mollel |
Nigerian Author Chimamanda Adichie
"The Danger of Single Story"
I'm heading back to Tanzania!
As some of you may be aware, next
year I will be travelling back to Tanzania to teach at a newly established primary
school called the Steven Tito Academy (STA).
The school has been set up by a local Tanzanian NGO called The Baobab Home (www.tzkids.org), who I volunteered with on my previous
trips to Africa.
The school’s goal is to provide
quality education to bright children from low income families who cannot afford
to attend an English medium school. My role will be as a classroom teacher,
working with the local teacher to improve teaching practices and develop the
curriculum.
The Baobab Home has set up a
fundraiser to cover some of my expenses as well as the costs involved in
adequately resourcing the school.
To assist with the fundraising I will be
hosting some events in Shepparton and Melbourne. More details to come. For now, you can make a donation at:
http://www.mycause.com.au/TheStevenTitoAcademyTanzania
http://www.mycause.com.au/TheStevenTitoAcademyTanzania
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Some of the students at STA.
~ Lauren
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