SEEDS members working in the Riau province of Sumatra have established the “I Love Reading” program in four elementary schools located in a remote village setting where illiteracy is still a common problem. We are focusing on students in grade one so we can give greater attention to increase the children’s desire and capability to begin reading short stories. The reason we are focusing on first graders is that many children living in the remote villages being served do not go to kindergarten, as attending kindergarten is not enforced by the local government.

We have implemented a new and engaging format for the first graders, working in conjunction with the school teachers. Local first grade teachers are appreciative of this program and often ask SEEDs staff for tips to increase their involvement in addressing illiteracy in each of their schools.

The success rate for teaching literacy to first graders is now at 98% of the student body. There are currently only one or two students from each school who are struggling with reading the provided stories and appropriately recognizing the letters of the alphabet. We hope that through this program children will continue to grow in their desire to love reading at home and at school. SEEDs members are encouraged that the remote villages where this program is running could someday be 100% literate.