DSA starts first phase of 'My Language My Identity' to encourage children to read in Arabic

DSA and Scholastic - the largest publisher of Arabic books for children - have come together to provide a number of two-day workshops to train 250 female teachers and librarians on the usage of 'My Arabic Library' books to support the curriculum. The workshops are currently being conducted in three public schools in Dubai.

Fatma Al Marri, CEO of the Dubai School Agency, said, "We started the ambitious 'My Language My Identity' project to revive the culture of reading in Arabic among students, especially after the Internet and TV have replaced books as a means for information. There is also a dearth of suitable books for this age group. In this first phase we purchased a huge collection of story and non-fiction books from one of the largest publisher of children's books.

Scholastic is known for the quality of the Arabic language used and its infotainment value. This phase includes workshops to train teachers and librarians to use the latest strategies and teaching methods to encourage students to read and establish a bond between the student and the book."

Al Marri added, "This is merely the first step in this project that we hope would encourage the students to develop a close bond with their native language and benefit from its literary riches. The DSA is to begin this program with the elementary level and then apply it to all levels. The focus is now on Arabic, Islamic, and Emirati Heritage."

The "My Arabic Library" series was prepared for elementary school students and uses bright colours and cartoons that appeal to children. Each library has around 40 interesting book titles, with five copies of each book, as well as a teacher's manual. The selection of books was made by a group of qualified Arab educationalists, Arabic Language teachers and Arabic Language supervisors, was translated in the Arab world and approved by many Education Ministries in the Arab world.

Currently, DSA is distributing more than 270 sets of the series to public elementary schools in Dubai. This series include topics like math, environment, animals, planets, the sun, and the family. The students may read those books during and after class, depending on the instructions of the teacher who would use those books to backup and enhance the academic curriculum.