Thursday, 2nd March, marked the 20th anniversary of World Book Day and gave everyone a chance to celebrate their favourite stories. This annual celebration of authors, illustrators and reading takes place in over 100 countries around the world. This was Harrow Shanghai’s first chance to celebrate the occasion. There were numerous whole-school activities including making book marks to swap, writing about our favourite stories and why we love reading and book quizzes. Students dressed up as their favourite book character for the day and there was a fantastic array of outfits on display, including all the main characters from Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh. A special World Book Day ‘buddy reading’ session took place in the Library, where the pupils from Year 6 helped their ‘little buddies’ from Year 1 further develop their reading skills. This programme also promotes the idea of Harrow being a ‘community’ filled with young leaders and inspirational peers.
Harrow Shanghai was proud to join the thousands of schools and communities celebrating World Book Day. Developing a habit of reading books, periodicals, blog posts and newspapers is known to benefit us in the long run, both mentally and physically. We promote reading throughout the year but World Book Day gives us the chance to come together and celebrate that which is mightier than the sword: words. As UNESCO so eloquently states, “The history of the written word is the history of humanity. The power of books to advance individual fulfilment and to create social change is unequalled. Intimate and yet deeply social, books provide far-reaching forms of dialogue between individuals, within communities and across time.” Here are a few reasons why trying to include 20 minutes of reading in your child’s daily schedule is so important: Reading is brain food Reading improves listening skills Reading builds up early literacy skills Reading improves academic performance And most of all…
Reading is fun!
Happy World Book Day!
The Language Enrichment Group
