Project Background

Now in its third and final year, Biblionef South Africa’s literacy project in KwaZulu-Natal began in 2023 as a partnership with MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet. The project supports ten primary schools in the KwaXimba and Inchanga areas, providing practical skills to 45 foundation phase teachers on how to teach their learners to read and write with meaning.

At the heart of the initiative is a commitment to both access and pedagogy: teachers receive a curated set of 1935 storybooks, featuring titles in the learners’ home languages and English, along with ongoing support to use these books in effective and engaging ways. Through classroom-based mentoring, interactive workshops, and storybook demonstrations, Biblionef helps teachers link their reading instruction to CAPS outcomes while also fostering joy and curiosity in their learners.

The project was developed in close collaboration with the KZN Department of Education, local curriculum advisors and school management. This alignment with formal structures has helped ensure the project’s relevance and acceptance across the ten schools.

Initial implementation began with site visits and teacher workshops in mid-2023. Since then, participating teachers have reported increased learner engagement, a renewed sense of confidence in their teaching, and a shift toward more interactive, meaningful reading practices in their classrooms. The use of tools like the “Tree of Life” helped teachers reflect on challenges and celebrate personal and professional growth throughout the process.

As the project enters its final year, both teachers and district officials are hopeful that the gains made can be sustained and expanded well beyond 2025.

What We’ve Achieved So Far

External evaluators are currently evaluating this project. Our most recent evaluation results show strong and encouraging outcomes:

• Teachers are transforming their classrooms. Many teachers reported that before Biblionef, reading took a back seat. Now, learners eagerly anticipate storytime. Teachers are using new strategies, such as mind maps, storytelling techniques, and guided group reading approaches, to make reading come alive.
• Children are more engaged than ever. Our storybooks and interactive techniques capture attention and spark imagination.
• Books are more than just resources; they’re rewards. In some schools, teachers now use our storybooks as special prizes for good behaviour or completed work. Children are thrilled to earn time in the reading corner.
• We are building a culture of reading that lasts. One teacher described “Biblionef time” as a special hour when “it’s like we’re at the park.” That’s how joyful and engaging reading has become.

What Still Needs Work?

While many teachers have enthusiastically embraced the project, working in overcrowded classrooms (some with as many as 70+ learners) remains a real challenge. Some teachers find it challenging to give sufficient attention to every learner, especially when time is limited and abilities vary widely. Shared writing activities, for example, can be tough to manage in large Grade 1 classes. But teachers aren’t discouraged; they’ve asked for more strategies to help them reach every child more effectively. As the project enters its final year, Biblionef plans to respond with tailored support, including practical tools for large-group teaching, increased peer-sharing opportunities, and additional guidance on adapting reading and writing techniques to suit different classroom realities. We want to ensure that all learners, regardless of their setting, have the opportunity to discover the joy of reading.

The Power of Storybooks

Teachers consistently praise the quality of the books Biblionef supplies. The stories are imaginative, the illustrations vibrant, and, most importantly, they’re culturally relevant and loved by learners. As one teacher put it, “These books are for fun. They’re educational, yes, but they bring joy. And if children don’t enjoy reading, they won’t want to read at all.”

Why This Project Matters

Children in South Africa often do not learn to read for meaning in the early grades. That makes it harder for them to succeed later in language subjects and across the school curriculum. Teachers know this. They’re doing what they can, but they don’t always have the support or resources they need to meet every learner where they are.

This project demonstrates that even small changes, such as how a story is read aloud or how questions are asked, can make a significant difference. A key part of the training involves translanguaging, where the facilitator models how to move naturally between languages during storytime. This strategy helps teachers ensure that all children understand the story and feel included, even if they aren’t fluent in English. It provides learners with the freedom to think, respond, and express themselves in their home language while still engaging with English texts. This is a crucial step in helping children feel confident enough to interact with new words, ideas, and books.

As one evaluator noted after observing a Grade 1 teacher:

“Because he had read from an English book, I asked him to follow this reading with a book in isiZulu. It was noticeable that when he read in isiZulu that he spoke more quickly, but he took the same care with showing pictures and talking about the meaning of what he read with his imaginary class.”

This is an example of code-switching, where the instructor moves between languages in distinct parts of the lesson. But the effect aligns with the broader goals of translanguaging. In the project, teachers are encouraged to use learners’ full language repertoires to support understanding. Blending languages in a fluid and purposeful way helps children feel seen and heard, no matter which language they speak. This not only improves comprehension, but it also builds confidence. When learners see their own language valued in the classroom, they’re more likely to engage, take risks with unfamiliar texts, and begin to see reading as something they can enjoy and succeed at. That’s how meaningful literacy begins.

Looking Ahead

Teachers and Department of Education officials have all echoed the same hope: that the Biblionef project will not only continue but grow. There is a hunger for more books, more workshops, and more support, because they see firsthand how lives are being changed.

As one of the teachers reflected, “We can see the difference. Our learners are curious. They are talking about stories, asking questions, and writing more confidently. We want to keep this going.”

You Can Help Write the Next Chapter

We are deeply grateful to our donor, My School, for making this three-year literacy intervention possible. Additionally, we would like to extend our gratitude to the teachers, principals, curriculum advisors, and the KZN Department of Education for their support of this initiative. Your support brings stories to life in classrooms where they are needed the most. With your continued help, we can expand to more schools and reach even more children.

Let’s keep building a South Africa where every child falls in love with reading.