Changing lives through reading
Literacy and reading books can change lives, but do we truly understand the impact reading has on children and their future. Access to books and literacy supports the development of children in many ways, not only education and career attainment, but wellbeing and other essential life skills.
Our commitment to changing lives
The Ihezie Foundation has seen first-hand the transformational impact reading has on the lives of children in the UK & Africa. The books we donate to schools have enabled children to get access to a wider range of books, to take books home and to advance their literacy levels.
According to the National Literacy Trust children who read for pleasure do better in a wide range of subjects at school and it also positively impacts children’s wellbeing.
Reading can also be linked to the following:
Reading attainment, phonics and writing ability
Text comprehension and grammar
Improved spelling
Breadth of vocabulary
Positive reading attitudes
Greater self-confidence as a reader
Pleasure reading in later life
Greater all-round academic success
All of these factors can have an impactful influence on the future lives of children, and that’s why the Ihezie Foundation has strengthened our commitment to empowering learners through reading, by providing the best literature to enable children and students to be equipped with the skills, knowledge and literacy they need to become lifelong learners.

Children who enjoy reading and writing are happier with their lives.
Children who enjoy reading are three times more likely to have good mental wellbeing than children who don’t enjoy it, but the negative impact of not reading or having access to books is also evident.
1 in 11 disadvantaged children in the UK say that they don’t have a book of their own. Children who say they have a book of their own are six times more likely to read above the level expected for their age than their peers who don’t own a book (22% vs. 3.6%)
The Ihezie Foundation will continue everything we can to give more children access to books, as we want every child to gain the benefits that reading brings.
Encouraging children to read changes lives
Having access to a wide variety of books is just one way of encouraging children to read. Reading books based on the child’s interests tends to motivate and build confidence and it is for parents and caregivers to continue to light that spark of reading for children from a young age.
A child’s reading skills aid their success in school, future work and life in general. Reading from an early age will help to ensure the success of the child and will support their life long development.
Daily reading to young children can improve language development, literacy, communication and social skills. This comes from stimulating the part of the brain that helps build key language, literacy and social skills.
As well as providing comfort and reassurance and helping to form stronger relationships, reading to a young child regularly can also provide happiness and fun, it is also said to improve their sleeping patterns.
Influencing a children’s development
The time spent reading with children is very important, it is a positive way to influence their development. Reading a favourite story to a child on a regular basis sets up opportunities that they look forward to and will enjoy the quality time that they get to spend with caregivers.
Shared reading experiences builds trust and using relatable stories, a children’s book can provide prompts to have meaningful conversations about many different life topics which can further develop their critical thinking skills.
To find out more about the books we donate to schools, please email: info@iheziefoundation.org
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