The remaining 17 pupils from schools across the capital will gather today (Thursday) at the Abu Dhabi Education Zone where they will participate in the semi final of the KITAB Read Aloud competition. Whittled down from an original 259 competitors from 18 schools, the remaining 17grade five pupils will compete for one of 5 places in the final which will take place at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair on Saturday 6 March 2010 at 12 noon.
Mr. Jumaa Al Qubaisi, Director of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and the National Library (ADACH), said: “Initiatives such as the Read Aloud competition are important components in our vision to establish Abu Dhabi as an economy based on knowledge and intellect.”
Monika Krauss, General Manager of KITAB, said: “Promoting the joy of books and reading means finding new and exciting ways to capture the imaginations of children. Initiatives such as the Read Aloud competition make stories jump off the page and into the lives of those who read them.”
Mohammed Salem Al Dhahiri, Head of Abu Dhabi Education Zone said: “this initiative creates a spirit of competition amongst students and encourages them to read. As well as contributing to the development of reading skills, the competition provides students with general knowledge and the confidence to communicate to an audience. It is competitions such as this that work in support our vision of the development of the next generation.”
Supported by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), the Abu Dhabi Education Zone and the Abu Dhabi Education Council, the books used in the competition have been donated and selected by competition-sponsor KALIMA.
