The first-year students who does the module Early Literacy, offered as one of the modules in the Early Childhood and Foundation Phase programme, has to annually write and illustrate their own story picture books as part of an assignment. When the book is completed, they have to read the book to children in pre-schools as a practical component and in so doing integrate early literacy theory and practice.

After completion of the assignment they enter their story books into the annual story book competition which is sponsored by Macmillan Publishers through the mediation of Ms Magda Scheepers who has been involved since the first competition.

The winners of this year’s competition were: Anke Paul with ‘Kom pak jou skooltas’; Marissa du Plessis with ‘Skillie se nuwe maatjie’; Michelle de Wet with ‘Jan se opwindende plaasvakansie’; Ashley Keene with ‘Never judge a book by its cover’; Tamlin Honiball with ‘The hungry badger’; Chelsea den Heyer with ‘The human fish story’; Megan Hofmeyer with ‘A turtle adventure’ and Simone van der Ryst with ‘Franke the frog finds a home’.