With the theme “sowing seeds of hope through reading” – the annual World Read Aloud Day 2025 was celebrated in classrooms and libraries across the city on Wednesday 5 February.
At Southfield Library, a group of four and five-year-olds gathered for story time with Grade 4 learner Cassidy Hendricks.
Encouraged to read from the age of two, Hendricks, who hails from Lotus River, enjoys sharing her love and passion for books with other children. In conversation with People’s Post, her grandmother Brenda Tommy proudly beamed over the nine-year-old’s passion for books. “Cassidy entered the South African Literacy Association’s annual competition in 2022, where she was placed second across the country,” she said. “In 2023, she scored first place and was very happy with that. Cassidy also loves reading to the little ones.”
Charmaine Fritz, a librarian at Southfield Library, said the pre-school learners thoroughly enjoyed story time last week.
“We had around 15 children for story time, although we were expecting another Early Childhood Development group,” she shared. “Just having these little bodies here and sharing stories with them was wonderful.”
With the theme “sowing seeds of hope through reading” it didn’t matter how many children showed up but rather the importance was “sowing seeds”, she added.
“To have the ability to read and write plays a big role in creating a happy future for themselves and communicating with others. . . it is very important.”
Commenting on World Read Aloud Day 2025, Western Cape Minister of Education David Maynier encouraged parents to read to their children. “World Read Aloud Day was founded 15 years ago to highlight the power of reading aloud to bring together communities and advocate for foundational literacy,” he said in a statement. “What better way to celebrate than to read with your child?”
Maynier emphasised the importance of reading with your child. “A love of reading is the greatest gift you can give your child, and provides the foundation for their school career,” he said. “I encourage every parent to set aside time each day to support the development of reading skills, which will ultimately help to improve learning outcomes in the Western Cape.”
