At the Bakhita School of Excellence, the love of reading has just been given a brand-new boost with the launch of our weekly library program.
Each week, students now bring home an Oxford Reader—to enjoy with their families. To make the experience even more engaging, we send an audio recording of the story through the parents’ WhatsApp group chat. This way, children can listen, follow along, and practice their pronunciation while reading at home.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
The program is designed to encourage both independent reading and family involvement. Parents can sit with their children, listen to the audio, and help reinforce the joy of reading together. This partnership between school and home is central to our vision of creating lifelong learners.
When students return their book the following week, teachers conduct a short test of reading and comprehension. This helps track progress and ensures every child is not only reading but truly understanding the stories. It also motivates students to read carefully, knowing they’ll get to share what they’ve learned.
Building a Culture of Readers
This library program is about more than books—it’s about building a culture of readers in Timor-Leste. For many of our students, this is their very first time taking a storybook home, and the excitement is tangible. Children proudly carry their Oxford Readers, eager to explore new worlds and share them with their families.
By blending traditional reading with modern tools like audio support and family WhatsApp groups, we are creating an approach that is both practical and powerful. One book at a time, our students are not just learning English—they are discovering the magic of reading.