The village that feared reading

The primary school in Hathigamuwa, Sri Lanka, is small. So small that before Room to Read partnered with the school eight years ago, only 36 children were enrolled. The number of children has grown since then — slightly. Now 163 children from the village travel down a long, quiet road each morning to the school, shaded by cococut trees, and walk through the school gates, painted bright blue, to their classrooms.  

Despite the school’s size, parents in the village have always wanted their children to receive the most competitive education possible. Sri Lanka’s education system focuses heavily on exams and parents in Hathigamuwa are particularly keen to see their children score well. A high score in Sri Lanka's Grade 5 national scholarship exam means a child is more likely to be selected to enroll in a high-performing school — a larger school, with greater resources.  
 
The primary school principal in Hathigamuwa has long collaborated with educators to instill strong reading habits in their students. For many years, the principal dreamed of having a school library to help teachers create a vibrant reading culture. But his dream was deferred, again and again, by an unlikely segment of the Hathigamuwa community: the children’s parents. Worried that a library would distract from exam preparation, parents in Hathigamuwa largely opposed the creation of a dedicated reading space and the addition of a new "library period" during the school day. 
 
"Parents are scared that reading books will tarnish the rest of the education of their children," the principal explained.  
 
When Room to Read partnered with the school, our Literacy Program facilitators knew community engagement would be a priority. So, in close collaboration with the school principal, they organized a series of parent-teacher meetings to discuss the value of reading storybooks at a young age, how reading supports cognitive skills and language proficiency, and how reading helps children learn to read and write with comprehension and builds a foundation for all future learning. Program facilitators encouraged parents to read books aloud at home with their children to help create a strong reading routine. 



 

The meetings proved effective. "Earlier, I thought reading storybooks is a waste of time and it distracted my child from preparing for exams," one parent shared. "But by attending these sessions, I understood how reading can help them improve their language skills and comprehension. I am more positive about my child spending time in the library now. We want our children to be holistic human beings." 
 
Slowly, parents began to warm up to the idea of a school library. Our program facilitators hosted an author from the village, a recipient of a provincial state award for writing, to speak on the power of reading. The chief librarian of the district public library attended another meeting, sharing with the parents the role libraries play in building literacy skills. Cultural officers from Sri Lanka’s Department of Cultural Affairs also visited, highlighting the government’s support of Room to Read's program model.  
 
Conversation in the village began to shift. Libraries were spoken of with curiosity, even excitement. As plans for the school library were put in motion, parents volunteered to help build library shelves and decorate library walls, and, as word spread through the village, more parents began to attend the teacher-parent meetings. 
 
When the library finally opened its doors to children, parents responded enthusiastically. The school principal noted with pride that parents encouraged their children to borrow books and were eager to witness teacher-led read-aloud sessions in the library when they picked up their children from school.  




"I came with my wife today to donate this book to the school library," one father shared, holding a storybook he brought from home. "It is quite heartwarming to see our children read books and enjoy their library period."
 
"I can clearly see a difference in writing in my child’s homework," shared another parent. "His vocabulary has improved. He even reads out loud the books he borrows from the library and sometimes narrates them to us and his siblings also."
 
It didn't take long for children to enroll in the district library as well, helping to extend their reading culture beyond the school’s bright blue gates. The village that once feared reading is now filled with eager readers.  

Evidence suggests that, when coupled with a supportive environment, initiatives that focus on both reading skills and the habit of reading can result in significant and sustained improvement in children’s reading levels.

Room to Read partners with schools to establish libraries that support student learning and advocate with governments to ensure every child has access to a child-friendly library filled with developmentally appropriate, diverse and engaging books.