The Birth of Kindle Corner

Kindle Corner began when a group of primary school teachers in Camden expressed concern that their students were not achieving the expected reading levels compared to those from neighbouring boroughs. Camden, a bustling borough, is a neighborhood  where 149 languages are spoken and for more than half its residents, English is not their first language. There is a direct correlation between how well a child performs in school and their success in the job market. Therefore, the heart to succeeding through the education system is to ensure that every child primarily enjoys the pleasure of reading and how to read. A child who masters reading will potentially overcome any existing barriers that put them at a disadvantage compared to their counterpart who are from high income earning households.  (The Reading framework of January 2022. Published by the DFE).

 

With a strong belief that early intervention could change this narrative, Salina  Khatun, founder of Kindle Corner, began a mission; to spark a love for reading for all children  and empower caregivers along the way. Salina is a qualified teacher, mother of young children and now a community leader. She believes when children read for pleasure, it is one of the best indicators for success both academically and socially.

 

Salina took a small volunteer role in Camden, telling stories to children outside of school hours in order to bridge the gap in literacy levels, but she found this simply wasn’t enough. Salina bravely left her full-time teaching role to start Kindle Corner a literacy focused charity organisation that to date Kindle Corner has helped hundreds of children and parents to develop a love of reading and create a sense of community. 

 

Storytelling is still at heart of Kindle Corner. By telling stories Salina and her team spark joy through words,  share collective values, educate on important topics and helping children make sense of the world around them. Through their collective experiences and invaluable skills the Kindle Corner team run a host of free programmes for the community. Carers learn to model the art of storytelling and then take away the skills and apply them at home.

 

The excellence of Salina's programmes have inspired partners like the Francis Crick, the British Library , The Living Centre ( community organisation) nd Camden Council to engage and use Kindle Corner to provide storytelling workshops. The community and local partners have seen the significance of these programmes, however, there is still a lot of work to raise literacy levels in the borough. 

 

Donations and community support are vital. Please click here to donate and here to inquire about running a workshop for your community.