Arab World Encourages Children to Read as Pandemic Impacts Skills Tara Kavaler
Emirati government initiatives spur reading; literacy gap between rich and poor widens in Israel
As the world marks International Children’s Book Day on April 2, 60% of youngsters in the MENA region are illiterate or cannot read at grade level, according to UNICEF.
This brings problematic consequences in many areas, including academic success.
“Reading may be the single most effective strategy for children to remain engaged with learning. It is particularly important for younger children who just started to read at school, to ensure they don’t lose their freshly acquired reading skills,” UNICEF says on its website.