The ins and outs of International Literacy Day

Written by Supernova

Sep 10, 2021

Every year on 8 September we celebrate International Literacy Day. This day highlights the importance of literacy and emphasizes the need to educate everyone – especially in today’s day and age. So, how did something so important start? How is Supernova encouraging kids to read while also improving literacy skills? Let’s find out!

Pencil holder filled with pencils. The pencil holder has a tag that says read and is stacked on 6 books of different sizes.

What is International Literacy Day?

International Literacy Day was first proposed during the 1965 World Conference of Ministers on the Eradication of Illiteracy in Iran. Since then, and with the help of then US president Lyndon B. Johnson, UNESCO officially recognized 8 September as International Literacy Day in 1966.

Why is this day so important?

Well, the day is celebrated for three reasons, the first being to remind everyone that literacy is a human right. The second reason is the importance of continuously striving towards educating and improving literacy skills globally. Finally, this day is used to raise awareness for those who still lack basic education and literacy skills due to various reasons.

A girl dressed in summer clothes is reading on top of a stack of books. You can only see the girls feet which are on top of a shorter stack of books. The girl is reading a book on top of the stack.

How does Supernova improve literacy skills?

We here at Supernova see ourselves as your unofficial teachers because we provide you with up-to-date information on all topics. What’s more, our articles’ themes can be learnt in Physical Science, Life Science, History, Geography and Life Orientation. That’s excluding our fun and creative crafts we provide in every issue which practice a variety of necessary skills!

A boy with headphones on has a computer in front of him. The boy is in an online class and taking notes.

Reading and writing skills

Of course, there’s also the English subject. We created a space for you to express your ideas, opinions and feelings on important and interesting topics. We pride ourselves in giving you the opportunity to express yourself while also improving your comprehension, reading and language skills. All of this without having to write a test! Doesn’t that sound like a bonus to you? You get to read about your favourite and well-researched topics without any added stress!

A girl is writing down the answers to questions her teacher asked her in class on a blackboard.

Unschooling

Supernova makes literacy fun! Find that hard to believe? Maybe you’ll believe one of our very own readers’ parents who wrote to us about her experience in using Supernova. This Super Mom homeschooled her child who struggled to keep up with all of the work in all her subjects. Rather than having her child struggle through this extra stress, our Super Mom took this opportunity to “un-school” her child. She wanted to give her child the necessary motivation and confidence to master the school subjects. Unschooling and using Supernova also gave the child the opportunity to work at her own pace and reach her goals.

Our Super Mom describes “unschooling” as a process of “breaking a vicious cycle”. Unschooling gives a child an opportunity to recover from their negative school experience, before starting over. It teaches the child in a way and at a pace that best suits the child’s abilities. Our up-to-date articles are also aligned to the CAPS curriculum which this Super Mom took advantage of.

A young girl is looking through a whole bookcase of books for her next read.

Supernova is grateful to be a part of the movement that aims to improve literacy everywhere. Our articles, different methods of subscriptions, and our print and digital magazine formats, fun activities, quizzes and so much more help us to accomplish this! Check out our awesome products here:

https://shop.bkpublishing.co.za/

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