Roundafire offers fun and educational storybooks in the form of a reading app, all the way from toddler to primary school years. Their library of books grows every month, with carefully curated new and fun stories for children to read and enjoy added regularly.

What makes Roundafire Unique?

It’s the first reading app of its kind to be created in South Africa. Boasting an online library of children’s audio storybooks in all our official languages. Learning to read in your mother tongue has never been more accessible.

Roundafire was created by a group of young digital publishers whose dream is to provide an environment that is rich and diverse, celebrating our unique and multicultural society. A platform that will cultivate a love of reading and an appreciation for the power of story-telling in our society.

Did you know that 78% of the children reaching grade 4 in South Africa are unable to read for meaning?

This is partly due to the philosophy of education in our country, which prioritizes measurable outcomes over a more holistic formation of the person; but it is also due to a general lack of accessibility to helpful tools.

Welcome, Roundafire! Which is bringing a deeper awareness to the fact that reading for meaning is crucial to all learning.

Why choose Roundafire?

– New books that fit our South African context are added monthly.
– Children can read via any mobile device, anywhere, anytime.
– Audio functions ensure that stories are read out loud, aiding in your child’s understanding of pronunciation.
– Three choices – Read to Me, Read Myself, and audio Autoplay – narrated by South Africans.
– Empowering our children to read in their mother tongue.
– It’s useful as a tool to help your child read in their second language.

– 4 Reading levels:
Pre-Readers – Level R (Age 0+) – Easy words | Shared Reading | Familiar Characters.
Beginning Readers – Level 1 (Preschoolers – Gr R) – Easy and shorter sentences | Shared Reading | Familiar Characters and themes.
Evolving Readers – Level 2 (Gr 1 – Gr 2) – Simple plots and dialogues | Familiar topics and themes.
Rising Fluent Readers – Level 3 (Gr 2 – Gr 4) – Longer sentences | Significant Vocabulary.
Fluent Readers – Level 4 (Gr 3 – Gr 5) – Difficult sentence structure | Complex story development and plot | Difficult vocabulary.

– In order to enhance word recognition, each word is highlighted – as and when it is read.
– A comprehensive variety of themes and genres to cater to a wide range of interests.
– A fun and colorful way to encourage reading.
– All books have gone through a strict evaluation process, ensuring that they comply with the CAPS levels of reading for each grade.
– Teaches children how to become independent readers.
– Available in all the native South African languages.

As a homeschool mom, I have found this app quite beneficial in helping my children not only read a variety of original South African content but also as aid with their second language; Afrikaans. Listening to, and hearing the correct pronunciation of the variety of words used, has helped them gain confidence in their understanding and enunciation of the Afrikaans language.

Roundafire is also available as an educational product within the school environment. Teachers are able to use this program to encourage reading for meaning, as well as for the individual assessment of a child. Each child within the classroom setup is able to read at their own pace and this will be tracked via the program’s analytical tool, which will be implemented in 2021.

A Final Thought

Roundafire is a breath of fresh air in an educational space that is uniquely relevant and desperately needed in our South African context. Created by people who have a passion for the formation of young people in our society, and curated by those who understand the educational needs of our children.

You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or download the app via Google Store or Apple Store

*this is not a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.