ReadRight was launched in 1999, it is aimed at teachers and parents who are encouraged to involve themselves in assisting learners with the variety of activities ReadRight offers.

Sandra Fivaz, the editor of ReadRight, says: “ReadRight contains activities geared for learners. They are encouraged to pick up or print the supplement and complete the exercises contained within it.

“It provides an extension to the work they do in class, but in a more colourful and entertaining manner.”

ReadRight is a weekly feature in the Sunday Times Magazine during public school terms. In addition to this, two-million free copies are distributed to both urban and rural schools around the country yearly.

“The exposure alone encourages kids to read. Our goal is to get kids reading and writing – we encourage letters and entries to be submitted. There’s also a writing club that the learners can join,” says Fivaz.

“Through ReadRight, the children are also further exposed to all the other learning areas, such as mathematics, life orientation, arts and culture, technology and social sciences,” she says.

“The activities within ReadRight are all produced by teachers who are specialists in their fields. All activities are created with the stipulated South African education curriculum as a foundation, therefore working through ReadRight is working within the school curriculum, but it’s more fun.

“I feel that the supplement attempts to foster a pleasure in reading because the content appeals to learners on many levels, including both education and entertainment,” Fivaz says.

ReadRight won the World Association of Newspapers Young Reader Award in 2002 and 2004 and its founder serves on the WAN Young Reader Committee.