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About Room to Read

Vision:

We envision a world in which all children can pursue a quality education that enables them to reach their full potential and contribute to their communities and the world.

Mission:

Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations, and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

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Room to Read Geography

Since 2000, Room to Read has. . .

Served more than 18.8 million children
Established 40,800 libraries till now.
Published 1684 original children’s storybook titles.
Supported 1,14,900 girls in our Girls’ Education program.

Founded in 2000 Room to Read works in the area of early grade literacy and girls' education across ten countries in Asia and Africa

Sri Lanka 2005

South Africa 2006

Zambia 2007

Bangladesh 2008

Tanzania 2011

Nepal 2000

Vietnam 2001

Cambodia 2002

India 2003

Laos 2005

Grenada -2015

Indonesia

Rwanda

Jordan

Myanmar

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RtR Approach to Reading

A comprehensive approach to reading

Independent reader

READING HABIT

Reading voluntarily and frequently, inside and outside schools.

READING SKILL

The ability to read fluently with comprehension

ENABLING READING ENVIRONMENT Within school, at home and at policy level

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Reading Habit: Library Key Components

Access to books
Literate environment
Teacher professional development
Time to Read-

Library Period- Reading activities

Books check out

Family and community Engagement

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Provision of lots of books that are developmentally and culturally appropriate for children
Books accessible to children at all times
Books displayed in open within the reach of children.

Key Components: Access to Books

Supporting schools to set up a learning environment that encourages reading

To ensure that the schools that Room to Read supports have a learning environment that promotes reading, the Reading Room program creates attractive classrooms and establishes libraries. Research has shown that it is important to create learning environments that support literacy because these environments will encourage participation in literacy activities. Thus, to the extent possible, it is important to have access to environments that promote reading practice at schools.

Reading Room activities that create a learning environment that encourages reading:

Provide schools with library furniture that promotes the easy organization of books and other reading materials.

Child-friendly furniture is appropriately sized for all ranges of primary school grades.

Provide reading materials that are categorized by reading level to libraries and classrooms.

Continue providing professional development to teachers and librarians on how to organize the library by reading level and how to match students to appropriate books.
Develop country-specific reading level guidelines and leveled book lists before books are sent to project sites.

Provide schools with resources to help develop attractive, print-rich classrooms and libraries.

Work with teachers to help create literate environments in a classroom such as displaying student work, wordlists, signs and labels and using learning corners and classroom libraries.
If materials do not already exist in classrooms, provide or work with teachers to make materials that support a print rich environment.

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Provision of posters and other materials to develop a print-rich environment
Provision of child friendly furniture (Reading tables, Bookshelves & display units, Pin-up boards, mats)
Provision of minor infrastructure improvements (painting, flooring): renovation

Key Components: Literate Environment

Supporting schools to set up a learning environment that encourages reading

Reading Room activities that create a learning environment that encourages reading:

Provide schools with library furniture that promotes the easy organization of books and other reading materials.

Child-friendly furniture is appropriately sized for all ranges of primary school grades.

Provide reading materials that are categorized by reading level to libraries and classrooms.

Continue providing professional development to teachers and librarians on how to organize the library by reading level and how to match students to appropriate books.
Develop country-specific reading level guidelines and leveled book lists before books are sent to project sites.

Provide schools with resources to help develop attractive, print-rich classrooms and libraries.

Work with teachers to help create literate environments in a classroom such as displaying student work, wordlists, signs and labels and using learning corners and classroom libraries.
If materials do not already exist in classrooms, provide or work with teachers to make materials that support a print rich environment.

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All books in the library are leveled as per difficulty level defined in the Book Leveling Guidelines.
Books are displayed as per levels of (GROWBY) system from Green (easiest); Red; Orange; White; Blue; Yellow.
Book and child leveling helps a child chose an appropriate book for his/her reading level.

Key Components: Book and Child Leveling

Collaborating with schools to ensure effective and sufficient time to read

In order for all of the quality reading materials provided by Room to Read to have an impact, students must have enough time in their day to access and read the books. Students develop a habit of reading and practice reading skills when reading has to become part of their daily patterns inside and outside of school. By setting outside time in the school day for students to learn to read and to read materials that they choose themselves, students are able to see reading as an enjoyable activity. It is also important that students have time in the day for both independent and guided reading activities. This is particularly important for early readers who may not be able to read books by themselves, but can still develop an interest in reading through activities led by a teacher or librarian.

Reading Room activities to ensure effective and sufficient time to read:

Support teachers and librarians to develop simple book check-out systems.

Introduce child-wise book check out systems, which aid teachers and librarians to understand the quantity and content of books that students are reading.
Assess whether the systems are simple and easy to use, and encourage schools to loan books to students of all ages and grades.

-Negotiate with government officials for time in the school timetable for reading/library periods.

Negotiate time during breaks, lunches and before/after school for children to access libraries.

It is important that students have time outside of the school reading period to access, check-out, and enjoy reading materials so that they see reading as a fun activity.

Quality Improvements

Develop guidelines for reading/library periods.

Support teachers to structure reading periods to facilitate activities related to reading and encourage children to read freely and voluntarily.
Develop activities that are appropriate to students’ levels and support reading for enjoyment.

Support teachers to conduct identify children’s reading levels.

Use informal student-level assessments as a way to help teachers and librarians identify the reading levels of their students and to use the reading time most effectively.

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Green

Level	Words & Sentences	Avg. Sentences per page	Avg. Words per Sentence	Appropriate Topics	illustrations
Green	Very Simple Single Words Phrases	0-1	1-3	Simple story concepts. Picture books	80 - 100% of each page

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Red

Level	Words & Sentences	Avg. Sentences per page	Avg. Words per Sentence	Appropriate Topics	illustrations
Red	Simple sentences ‐Simple punctuation, usually only full stop ‐Usually complete sentences	1-3	1-5	Simple story /narrations connected with children’s life	at least 80% of page ‐ Illustrations directly support the meaning of the text

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Orange

Level	Words & Sentences	Avg. Sentences per page	Avg. Words per Sentence	Appropriate Topics	illustrations
Orange	Simple sentences, getting longer Increased punctuation, usually full stop, comma, quotation marks	3-6	2-4	‐ Familiar or unfamiliar concepts, beginning to expand the child’s world ‐ Simple story line ‐ Can consider high interest topics for older readers who may read at this level	at least 80% of page ‐ Illustrations assist with meaning, but perhaps less explicitly than in levels 1 and 2

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White

Level	Words & Sentences	Avg. Sentences per page	Avg. Words per Sentence	Appropriate Topics	illustrations
White	Simple and compound sentences; words and structures become more complex	5-8	4-6	Some difficult words that are not directly part of children’s day to day conversations. Plot of the story should be little bit complex.	at least 70% of page ‐ Illustrations give less clues and meaning to the text

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Blue

Level	Words & Sentences	Avg. Sentences per page	Avg. Words per Sentence	Appropriate Topics	illustrations
Blue	Some complex sentences and paragraphs	6-10	5-8	More sophisticated storyline, lots of events or one event continuing ‐May have a twist at the end (more difficult to predict) ‐Some figurative language OK	at least 60% of page ‐ Illustrations support the concept of the story, not necessarily the details

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Yellow

Level	Words & Sentences	Avg. Sentences per page	Avg. Words per Sentence	Appropriate Topics	illustrations
Yellow	Full range of words, structures, punctuation, language complexity—still meant for a young audience	Any (text can be full page)	Any	No limitation but appropriate for children	May not have illustrations

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Reading Activity- Read Aloud

Before Library Period:

Select a book to read (can be higher than students’ levels)

Identify 2-3 places where you will stop and ask questions.

Identify 1-2 vocabulary words to teach the students.

Before Reading:

Introduce the book (title, author, illustrator)

Ask prediction questions.

Teach 1-2 vocabulary words.

Oral Narration of Half of the Story

During Reading:

Read slowly, clearly, and with expression.

Ask prediction questions: what will happen next?

Review vocabulary words when they appear.

After Reading:

Review what happened (who, what, where and when questions)

Have students re-tell the story

Ask “why” questions

Review students’ prediction questions

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Reading Activity -Shared Reading

Before Library Period:

Select a big book to read.
Identify 2-3 places where you will stop and ask questions.
Identify 1-2 vocabulary words to teach the students.

Before Reading:

Introduce the book (title, author, illustrator)
Ask prediction questions
Teach 1-2 vocabulary words

During First Reading:

Read slowly, clearly, and with expression
Ask prediction questions: what will happen next?
Review vocabulary words when they appear

After First Reading:

Review what happened (who, what, where and when questions)
Have students re-tell the story
Ask “why” questions
Review students’ prediction questions

During Second Reading:

Ask students to read along
Ask students to re-read interesting words or sentences
Ask students to make sounds or do actions with you

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Reading Activity -Pair Reading

Before Reading:

Students pick a partner on their own.
Every pair picks a book (2 pairs at a time)

and starts reading together.

During Reading:

Teacher walks around to help students,

as needed.

If the book is too difficult, the teacher helps the

pair find an easier book.

After Reading:

Students come back together to the teacher.
Teacher asks students by randomly selecting a pair to share what happened in their books.

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Reading Activity -Independent Reading

Before Reading:

Teacher asks students to think of their reading level
Teacher helps students to pick a book (6-8 students at a time) from their level to start reading alone.

During Reading:

Teacher walks around and helps students, as needed
If the book is too difficult, the teacher helps the student find an easier book

After Reading:

Students come back together
Teacher asks students by randomly selecting a child to share what happened in their books.

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After Reading Activity

Children engage with after reading activity like

Story Chart & Story narration
Title Tree
Letter Writing
Picture with content

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Issuing books home for reading is an important activity in the school library
Book check out is a measure of children’s reading habit
Data on book check out is collected from all Room to Read school libraries ; this data is regularly analyzed to see if all children are issuing books for home on a regular basis.

Key Components : Check in Check out

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Training of point teachers and headmasters on library management
Training of point teachers and headmasters on key reading activities. Head teachers to train other teachers in school
Provision of Library Management Manual for quick reference
On school support to be provided by Room to Read staff; Library Management Facilitator for library management and Literacy Coach for reading activities

Key Components: Teacher Training

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Family & Community Engagement.

To promote culture of reading among the parents and community, various activities of literacy related taken place in schools and in community.

International Storytelling week activity National Science Day In Library

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