Kathie Griner Update:
Africa Project Fundraiser $4,500
Pilot School Creative Reading Classes
For the last several years we have had the privilege of partnering with pastors, Peter and Beatrice Kaunda in Lusaka, Zambia. They have two schools with more than a thousand students. Together we understand that to change a nation and see it lifted out of poverty its thinking must change, and it all starts with the children.
The situation in Africa is that its learning style is rote. There is a place for that, but it doesn’t foster problem solving. Children who learn to solve their own problems become adults skilled in business, work, and overall Christian living.
That’s why I have co-ordinated our first in a series of children’s books, The Happy Hippo. With my coauthor, Judy Friederich, we have researched and crafted a book of local stories designed to be read aloud. Why you may ask? Let me tell you.
First, children of all ages love a good story and, more than that, they love to hear that story read out loud, especially when it is about them. And if they like the story, they will listen to it again and again. But here is the brilliance, according to educators reading stories out loud is a huge benefit in developing young minds. Reading aloud helps students learn how to use language to make sense of the world. It improves their information processing skills, vocabulary, and comprehension. Research shows that teachers who read aloud motivate students to read. All of this is a simple prescription for producing a generation of wealth creators.
Our book, The Happy Hippo, is written with these things in mind. We have illustrated it with colorful characters to help our teachers facilitate the children’s imagination. Included with each story is a set of discussion questions the teacher can use to engage the students in inquisitive dialogue. This is a key to critical thinking skills.
Since children are the future of any society, teaching them problem solving and how to make wise decisions is a golden investment. But how are they to enjoy reading if they don’t have books to read, especially books that are about them and their world? Our goal is to change that.
This is my mission. If you will, please help me. We hope to return this fall. There are travel expenses, books, and other training materials that need to be purchased. My goal is $4,500. You will be investing in the cure for poverty and changing a nation one reading class at a time! Click the Happy Hippo Donate icon below. Checks can be sent to FHI 1109 Harmony Ct. Springfield, IL 62703. Write me on messenger if you would like more information about our Happy Hippo Creative Reading Class project.
Thanks for joining with me,
Kathie Griner
