ADEC accompanies 23,000 students during the one-week Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2017
Activities at the book fair compliment the ongoing events being launched across schools as part of the Abu Dhabi Reads 2017
Abu Dhabi Education Council’s (ADEC’s) presence at the Abu Dhabi International 2017 Book Fair was a huge success, with more than 23,000 public and private school students visiting the booth, contributing in various voluntary work, and stopping by as part of a scheduled school trip visit.
The book fair runs until May 2nd 2017, which is when Abu Dhabi Reads 2017 ends. The theme for this year’s Abu Dhabi Reads is “What’s your footprint” – Reading results in learnings and the broadening of ideas that enable people to make their marks and thus make history.
During this year’s book fair, the ADEC pavilion is showcasing four main activities based on four pillars, namely: reading for fun, reading for knowledge, reading for innovation, and reading for inspiration.
At each of the ADEC pillars there are numerous activities tailor made based on age groups for students aged: 4 to 6, 7 to 9, 10 to 12 and 13 to 15, all in efforts to promote and encourage the joy of reading amongst children.
Dr. Sara Al Suwaidi, Acting Curriculum Division Manager and Abu Dhabi Reads Committee Head, lauded efforts exerted by ADEC, teachers, students and schools during this year’s Abu Dhabi Book Fair and the Abu Dhabi Reads 2017. “What’s exciting and inspirational, is that all the activities being held in both the book fair and as part of Abu Dhabi Reads 2017, involve the community at large. Students, parents, teachers, schools, and different stakeholders are all involved in enjoying reading and writing, while promoting their passion towards both. The book fair has numerous ongoing activities this year that are not only tailor made to suit the different age groups of students, but also encourage exchange of ideas, sharing and caring. Students genuinely care to help other students, and that on its own is part of ADEC’s strategy to create helpers, students with moral obligations and responsibilities, innovators and thinkers.”
During the one week book fair, ADEC is organizing various shared reading activities, some of which includes “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss, where volunteer teachers read to children of all age groups in efforts to get them to interact and share their ideas and thoughts about the book.
As part of ADEC’s eagerness to promote both Arabic and English languages, as well as reading and writing skills, an iPad station has been set up in the ADEC booth at the book fair under the theme “I Read Arabic.” The initiative is a levelled and differentiated Arabic reading platform, consisting of a classroom digital library of hundreds of e-books and related reading comprehension quizzes, spanning seven levels of difficulty and covering a wide range of subjects. The platform supplements traditional school-based learning, aims to improve students’ reading skills and enriches vocabulary.
Additionally, plenty of volunteer students are available at the ADEC pavilion to help facilitate activities and information for other visiting students of their same age group, and for visitors in general.
Schools are also conducting various projects related to reading and writing at the booth, one of which includes “write your favorite body part” which involves 5 to 7 year old students who wrote about their own body parts based on a photography exhibition created by their teachers, where a number of photos displaying different body parts were showcased and described.
ADEC in collaboration with the UAE National Archives is reading out aloud a book about the history, heritage and culture of the UAE to all visiting students during the one week book fair.
In addition to the events in the book fair, various Abu Dhabi Reads “school-based” projects are ongoing till May 2nd 2017. Some of which includes: readers theatre, music and reading, book clubs, guess the owner, too many authors, story sack library, reading scavenger hunt, bare books, this book can be my friend, musical books, author visits, fiction collage, non-fiction collage, trivia, social media reading promotion, book awards, photo gallery, story craft, design a book cover, design a poster, digital story, the temperature’s rising and school book tally.
Various scheduled events are also being launched across both public and private schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, namely: favorite book day, parent reading day, character day, Dr. Seuss reading sessions, a book over breakfast, mannequin challenge, buddy reading and booknic.
An event called “The Joy of Reading” was also held in one of the capitals public schools on Thursday 27th April 2017 where different private and public school students took part in activities that promote reading for enjoyment in English and Arabic, while developing essential reading skills.
The “Write Your First Novel” and “Book Trailers” are also successful pilot projects that are now being rolled out to all public and private school students. Write Your First Novel is being rolled out to Kindergarten students, while Book Trailers are open to Cycle 2 students to complete.
In efforts to encourage community awareness and contribution, ADEC has also arranged a number of workshops for parents, students and teachers that are ongoing during the Abu Dhabi Reads campaign alongside the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Some of these workshops include: digital reading with your child, reading at home, Julia Johnson student workshop, how to be a happy reader and teacher training workshops.
An award ceremony will be held for the top 20 readers and their parents on the book fairs final day to congratulate them for a job well done. All participating Abu Dhabi Reads school students, and book fair volunteers will also be awarded and congratulated.
“I am very proud of all our volunteer students, teachers and schools, and look forward to personally congratulating them for a job well done. The efforts exerted in this year’s book fair and Abu Dhabi Reads are evident, and definitely go in line with our theme this year – What’s your footprint. Every single contributor has left a foot print and legacy, their efforts will never be forgotten,” concluded Dr. Al Suwaidi.
– ADEC Media
