Why Stories and Language Matter, and How You Can Help Shape Futures

Stories shape how children think, connect, and make sense of the world. And language is not just a tool; it is a treasure. Together, they open new worlds. When reading feels joyful and meaningful, everything starts to feel possible.

What Children Learn Through Stories

A proud hare, a patient tortoise, a thirsty crow, a lion and a tiny mouse. Through characters like these, children explore universal ideas such as courage, honesty, kindness, and perseverance. These fables are more than stories; they are simple, memorable guides that help children think about life in ways that feel safe, engaging, and easy to understand.

Each FableReads story includes a handful of questions that invite children to pause and reflect on what happened and what it might mean. They ignite conversations about values, as well as more complex ideas like deception and greed.

This sparks imagination, strengthens critical thinking, and nurtures empathy. It also builds life skills and perspectives that influence how children move through the world and relate to themselves and others. These fables and questions create moments of connection and insight across generations and cultures.

How Language Helps Children Understand

When a story meets a child in a language they know best, ideas click into place more easily. New words connect to familiar ones. Emotions feel real. They are not using all their energy to decode the language, which means they have more space to think, question, and imagine.

When children learn to read and understand stories in a language they know well, they are not only learning that language. They are building a foundation for lifelong learning. Research shows that the reading and thinking skills developed in a first language often transfer when children take on a new one. This means that the stories they enjoy today can help open up opportunities tomorrow, giving them the tools to learn new languages and ideas with confidence.

Unfortunately, many children around the world rely solely on what their schools can provide, and some grow up without a single storybook of their own. Without this bridge, children face limits that have nothing to do with their potential and everything to do with access.

Join Us in Building This Bridge and Double Your Impact

Imagine what becomes possible when every child has access to engaging stories in their own language, in classrooms with sessions designed to meet them in their world and help them learn, read, and grow.

That is the future we are building. It begins in Term 1, 2026, with Grade 4 to 6 children in two South African communities, in isiXhosa and English.

The stories are translated and narrated, and our community partners are ready. All that’s missing is you. 

We are matching every contribution, which means your impact is doubled and your gift goes twice as far.

Your support places activity-rich books in a child’s hands and helps us grow a model that can reach more children, in more communities, in more languages.

Join the journey and help us be ready for 2026, so more children can see themselves in the stories they read and hear.

#FableItForward

We would love to have you with us.

Support the Matching Challenge here.