Jalayah uses YouTube videos to inspire children to read

Social media influencers can be kids too! That's the message six-year-old Jalayah George wishes to share with children across the world.

Jalayah, a student of Bishop Anstey Junior School is in prep-two (second year). She lives in Petit Valley with her mum, dad, brother and sister. She is the eldest of her parents' three children. She is looking forward to celebrating her seventh birthday in November.

Jalayah started making YouTube videos earlier this year where she reads and shares educational adventures and activities with her viewers and subscribers. Jalayah has six videos and is working on more with her parents. She has 128 YouTube subscribers, and over 200 followers on Facebook.

She said, "My Daddy Jovon helps to do the recording and editing and my Mummy Juliana helps me to practise."

Jalayah has been reading fluently since she was three after attending Precious Little Angels Pre School. Her favourite book is Ella's Ever Glowing Light by local author Monique Des Vignes. Des Vignes gifted the book to Jalayah to use on her YouTube channel.

On school she said, "My favourite subject is art because I get to create new things, but I like all the subjects at school."

When Newsday Kids asked Jalayah why she started making videos she said, "I started making videos because some children are not in school but their parents still want them to learn.

"What made me really want to start a doing a YouTube channel is that I saw a lot of people on YouTube and I wanted to have a YouTube channel too!"

She said her videos are for children of all ages who want to learn.

Jalayah will soon be adding educational adventures to her list of videos starting with a visit to out of space and a visit to the past. She said, "I don't know what other adventures I will do, but I will do a lot of them."

The adventures will be based on stories from books in her growing library.

Asked what advice she would give to others wanting to start a YouTube channel she said, "I would tell others they can do whatever they want in their YouTube videos and it can involve your little brother or sister, or even your mummy or daddy."

When Jalayah isn't doing her school work, working on her videos or helping at home with chores she plays with her brother Jahdai and her sister Jahira. She said, "We play games like tag or games with our phones on the television."

Jalayah is looking forward to going out to her school for the first time in April and is looking forward to having her younger brother join her.

"I'm looking forward to making lots of new friends!"

Asked if she'll be sharing her videos with her new friends she said, "Maybe not at first because I am shy. I am shy because they might share my videos and then other people may share it too and I will get too famous."

Asked if she doesn't want to be famous she said, "I do want to be famous, but having a YouTube channel isn't about being famous, it's about making sure people get education."

View and subscribe to Jalayah's videos at Jalayah G TV on YouTube or follow her on Facebook