Asturias Academy Library: Reading for Change

Right now we are in the third semester. Years ago our first grade students, by this time of the year, they have had a few weeks to have met most of the alphabet and had fun reading the labels on the streets. Now it's different, since more than three months, students do not read signs; they read short books and used their imagination. These thanks to the space, the kind of books we have and the environmental in our library.

I am used to visits the classrooms regularly. In one of my visits to the students in first grade I saw that there was a lot of excitement and it seems to me like they were around two students that were arguing, as I approached, they did not gave importance to me, until, Elsy Tepe, whispered to those around her "The director is here." Then gradually they began to be silent and only were the words of the two students who were in the middle. I understood that they were playing to change the ending of the story that had just read in the library.

In my country this is not common, students in first grade, after nine months of study, they are just trying to remember the sounds of letters and associated with individual words, but in our school, thanks to the library and reading program, they are changing. Now they are students who read complete stories and as a result are developing a great imagination.

In a country where libraries are almost nonexistent and the few libraries’ that exist only have scientist books, we are making a difference. You can contribute to this change that we are making in children aged 6 years. Our school year ends on October 15 and we are planning to keep the library open during the holidays. We are currently working with 300 students and, if we have the budget for the salary of a librarian full time, next school year we want to open the library to the community 

What do you think? , Would like to support this change?

Sincerely

Jorge Chojolán

Founder Asturias Academy