Gloria Christian Bilingual School (GCBS) prepares the infrastructure and programs to cultivates the reading habits of the students. Besides the reading room facilities and the availability of interesting and qualified books, GCBS also organizes several programs to encourage students to love reading. GCBS has routine programs such as "Dear Time", "Read Aloud and Follow", "Reading Challenge at Home", and a celebratory program, namely "International Literacy Day".
“DEAR time” stands for Drop Everything and Read. Students will read for 5-10 minutes each day before lunch. They will choose a book from the library and keep it in a locker until they have finished reading. “Read Aloud and Follow” is a routine program that is held every week in English. All students have the same book and will read it together with the teacher. This activity is very good for reading comprehension.
Meanwhile, “Reading Challenge at Home” is a reading program at home. Students are motivated to have reading time with family members. Next is "International Literacy Day“ which is a celebration that every student is allowed to express the story of a book that they have read. Teachers also participated in this event by wearing costumes that matched the characters in the books they were reading. This really inspires students to share the contents of the books they have read and find out about other interesting stories shared by their friends.
Mr. Martin, an English teacher at Gloria Christian Bilingual School, revealed, "Reading regularly can improve students' language fluency. When reading, students discover the meaning of new words in the context of their reading and improve their learning skills automatically. Reading also helps the brain process information better. As students start to read more, they can start creating stories in their heads and enjoy what they are reading.Hana, one of the GCBS students, said, "I am happy because I know a lot of new vocabulary by reading."