Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Baloo’s Buddies is delighted to be working with The Bookcase on Budiaya Highway to launch Baloo’s Reading Buddies – a reading programme for children of all abilities aged five and up.
The “Reading to Dogs” programmes around the world have been shown to have many benefits for children who are struggling with or want to progress their reading skills. Benefits include improvements in reading fluency, reading confidence, reading level and reading frequency. Added to these, reading to a dog can reduced stress and anxiety, increase empathy and kindness to others and improve social skills as children love to chat about their experience of reading to a dog.
Juno and Chip, Baloo’s Buddies specially trained dogs, are waiting to meet you! Or your child can read to our giant toy dog.
Baloo’s Reading Buddies will run the first Saturday of every month starting October 5 between 9am and 11am. It’s by appointment only so please book your child’s slot by calling Baloo’s Buddies founder Sarah Clarke on 38338064. Spaces are limited!
Your child can read in a language of their choice, bring their favourite book or choose from a selection of ours, draw while they wait their turn and make friends with other Baloo’s Reading Buddies. The programme is free and all children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Let’s all read together!
Dr Sarah Clarke, Founder Baloo’s Buddies – an entirely voluntary initiative to include, enable, inspire children of all abilities.
I would like to congratulate the Kingdom of Bahrain in its boxing victory against Kuwait in the Bahrain and Kuwait International Boxing Championship last weekend.
In particular, Ali Bukhalaf, Mohammed Bilal Denis Latypov, Ali Saeed, Abdulla Fadhel and Captain Yousuf AlBalooshi did a great job in highlighting Bahrain’s boxing talent.
It was also great to see Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa supporting the boxers from ringside.
With this continuing support, the Bahraini Boxing team is well on its way to competing at the Olympic level.
Tom Collins
Passion by Hiba Arekat
There are times when letters fall to place
On days when words don’t come out
The pen merely endures to beat a race
I call it poetry—the water to the drought
What moves the river inside of you?
A passion your heart shall discover
The universe then would lead you
Onto a new sphere you hover
A euphoric universe, limitless & vast
Never should it restrain you
Do not get carried away too fast
If you stumble upon the standard you once knew
Editor’s note: Those who would like to submit their poetry can do so by emailing mai.alkhatib@gulfweekly.com
