"Reading islands" are set up in the kindergartens of the country as spaces for reading and listening to stories, both indoors and outdoors. The event is part of a national interactive reading program titled "Read me 100 stories". In the framework of the program, UNICEF provided 22 book titles for 1,200 kindergartens of the country, IPN reports.
Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun said that the launch of the program represents "an essential step in the right direction, that of cultivating love for reading from the first years of life".
"We aim to bring the book into the life of every child in the Republic of Moldova because early reading means a better start in life, solid education and, ultimately, a fairer and more future-ready society," stressed the minister.
British Ambassador Fern Horine said that the active participation of children in the reading sessions will help them discover new emotions, experiences and lessons that will be useful in their personal development.
""Read me 100 stories" is more than a reading campaign. It is an investment in values, in the future of children," said UNICEF Representative in Moldova Maha Damaj.
The national reading program was launched by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research, the OvidiuRo Association and "Ion Creangă" National Children's Library at "Regina Maria" kindergarten in Ialoveni.
Approximately 650 preschool teachers and managers of kindergartens across the country participated in training sessions held by the OvidiuRo Association. During the sessions, the participants explored the role of reading in children's emotional, cognitive and social development, ways to set up attractive reading islands in kindergartens, criteria for choosing the right books, as well as methods by which families can be involved in reading stories from the first years of life, said the Ministry of Education.
