A new collaboration between the UAE Ministry of Education and Cambridge University Press aims to boost children’s confidence and happiness while they study at home.
Stories from Cambridge’s research-based reading programmes will be brought to life by expert authors in six episodes hosted on the Ministry’s new UAE Story Time YouTube channel broadcast weekly from 14 July 2020. Each story will be enhanced with augmented reality technology to capture the imaginations of 4 – 11 year olds across the country.
Books for every episode have been selected from Cambridge Reading Adventures, a popular series written for young learners of English, and the Bridge to Success project, a Cambridge course designed specially to help Emirati students reach CEFR B2 level in English by Grade 12. Including a wide variety of traditional and contemporary tales, these stories offer a chance for children to learn and connect while outside the school environment.
Jane Mann, Managing Director, Education Reform: ‘Evidence shows that reading is an essential foundational skill – not only for developing language, but also for social and emotional well-being. With children currently out of school, we must not overlook the importance of time spent in a safe environment with enjoyable, engaging stories.
Having recently collaborated with the Ministry on the UAE Vision National Agenda 2021 Bridge to Success project, Cambridge is proud to continue to support Emirati children with their English language journey in these unexpected circumstances.’
His Excellency Dr Hamad Al Yahyaei emphasizes the importance of literacy as both a national and global educational goal: ‘Here in the UAE, we are constantly striving for innovative and creative ways to enhance education; our collaboration with Cambridge is the ideal opportunity to empower our young people within the country and across the world’.
