Reading programs Thailand

The importance of reading

Reading is the most essential skill a child must have to be able to learn.  Skipping this core educational building block has severe repercussions for the rest of the child’s life. Many children in Thailand cannot escape the cycle of generational poverty, primarily due to the lack of education and early childhood development.

In Thailand’s most extensive yet least developed region, or Isan, the Tai Wisdom Association (TWA) identified that over 80% of 10 - 11-year-old children lack fundamental reading skills or cannot read at all.  They also discovered that children who cannot read are more likely to drop out of school early, with no prospects of a stable future. They remain stuck in a helpless cycle of poverty. TWA was set up to break this cycle and create a better future for the next generation. It believes that every child has the right to be literate and, therefore a fighting chance for their future.

Tai Wisdom Association

Tai Wisdom Association (TWA) is a non-profit making organization, located in de Isan area in Thailand. It was founded in 1998 with support from international groups such as the Bernard van Leer Foundation and Ecoles sans Frontieres. TWA has focused from te beginning on improving reading skills for children. For years TWA has invested its time and resources in early childhood education, with well developed reading programs for pre-schoolers, primary schools, family libraries and daycare centres. Over the years TWA also became actively involved in addressing literacy challenges among educators and schools. The main focus hereby is to offer support to small schools struggling with the issue of insufficient reading skills among rural children. 

"Our ultimate aim is to secure the academic success of young children in small rural areas, with the long-term goal of breaking the cycle of poverty. "

The Reading Programs

Specific reading programs have been designed and experimented with in several partner schools, each tailored to address specific contextual factors, reading challenges, and personnel capacity.

A.    Read-Aloud Program ( Preschool , Primary 1 and 2)
 

Due to the lack of training in reading aloud and promoting reading among Thai teachers, both during pre-service and in-service training, coupled with their understanding of storytelling that primarily aimed at entertainment rather than educational purposes, our reading program addresses these challenges by retraining participating teachers.

This approach involves requiring teachers to engage in regular "Read Aloud" sessions until they observe the impact of these activities on children and improve their own read-aloud skills. Teachers are encouraged to conduct a daily read-aloud of four books, repeated four times, as a minimum requirement. This regimen allows teachers to notice changes in children's oral expression, attention span, and interest in books within two weeks. Additionally, TWA carefully curates an effective booklist for classroom use, ensuring a step-by-step approach to reading development.

The ongoing nature of our reading support program for participating teachers, coupled with book rotation tailored to their progress, helps sustain momentum in the classroom and within the target school. 

B. Together We Read Program ( Primary 3 - 6)

The "Together We Read Program" involves shared reading activities led by teachers, focusing on the best available local and international Young Adult literature tailored to students' reading levels. Books are loaned to individual children for a fixed period, with daily reading sessions conducted in grades 3-6 classes.

This activity, unprecedented in OBEC schools, ensures each student and teacher has a copy of a selected Young Adult book that is relevant, enjoyable, readable, and age-appropriate. For about 30 minutes a day, students read the same book in rotation, one by one, while others follow along and listen. This helps students engage with the text on the page. The goal of “Together We Read” is not to assess students' fluency but to foster a supportive reading environment. Teachers can offer individual assistance, and everyone shares the story together.

As a result of the "Together We Read" program, the program offers numerous benefits; children are less afraid of reading, even when faced with many words on the page. Students support each other, wait for friends who read slowly, and engage more with teachers. However, before reaching the stage of reading diverse and complex Young Adult literature, students need sufficient listening and self-reading experience.

C.  Independent Reading ( Primary 1 -6)

The program is designed to address limited reading opportunities among children by providing a weekly half-day session for all grade levels. During these sessions, teachers would conduct read-alouds for early grades, while those who were able to read independently would have the opportunity to do so. Essential is to create a space designed to help children become familiar with books and reading. The goal is for them to eventually read independently and enjoyably at their own skill level, starting with picture storybooks, moving on to informational comics, and progressing to young adult literature of 200-600 pages.

Our Partnership

Partnering with TWA, we are supporting them to achieve a transformative impact on communities, helping to lift them out of poverty by providing children with a robust reading program through their education. By working together with TWA and the (local) rotary clubs we aim to support and revolutionize one school at a time. With every book read and every mind enlightened, we are not only enhancing literacy but also opening doors to brighter futures. By working with TWA, we are contributing to  igniting the spark of knowledge, empowering the next generation, and building stronger, self-sustaining communities. Our commitment to this cause is unwavering, and we are thrilled to witness the profound changes our collaboration brings, fostering a world where every child has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

As we all need to work together we need your help to invest in the dedicated individuals on the ground who tirelessly devote all their energy to helping children thrive through reading and provide them with quality literature.