Abdullah bin Zayed honours stakeholders of ''Abu Dhabi Reads'' campaign

Abu Dhabi: H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, has honoured organisers, participants, public and private stakeholders in the ''Abu Dhabi Reads'' campaign, organised by Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) last April, to encourage pupils to develop independent reading skills and instil the culture of reading in members of the local community. They were recognised for their significant support which enabled the cultural and educational initiative to deliver its objectives. Sheikh Abdullah stressed the vital importance of nurturing and instilling the reading skills in the present generation in light of the modern technological advancements as reading opens up avenues for knowledge, develops comprehensive capacities of students and enlighten their minds. The campaign, Abu Dhabi Reads aimed to enhance literacy levels among pupils and helped address weaknesses among students, while improving their cognitive abilities from an early age. Activities of the campaign ranged from school-wide reading projects, contests, book exchange and parade, interactive electronic reading and writing programs, and reading workshops and lectures to author visits to schools. Dr. Mugheer Al Khaili, Director General of ADEC, said the campaign's events and activities had drawn enthusiastic interaction from students, parents and local community. He added the prime goal of the campaign was to make reading a daily practice. ''Reading is the main gate to science and knowledge and provides the skill through which its owner can command sciences and knowledge,'' he said. ''Abu Dhabi Reads'' is a national, two week annual campaign which involved teachers, educators, parents, higher education institutions, new graduates and the Private Sector that aimed at spreading a reading culture among students of KGs and Cycle 1 schools of Abu Dhabi and the wider community. It was built on the idea that reading, in both Arabic and English is for four main purposes: Fun, Inspiration, Knowledge and Opportunities. The campaign aimed to : Assess cycle 1 students' reading and writing skills Address students' individual needs in reading and writing. Allocate specific time daily for reading and writing activities Introduce and improve teaching of reading and writing Train teachers to diagnose and respond to students reading problems Engage talented students in reading-enrichment programs Discover the talents of creative students Identify suitable print and non-print learning resources to support students learning Establish links between ADEC and local institutions Encourages the participation of university students and pre-serviced teachers Apply modern and effective teaching strategies Apply action research to improve students' reading and writing levels – Emirates News Agency, WAM