Encouraging a love for reading among students from an early age is crucial. In today’s digital age, and with a future leaning toward increasingly digitally-driven ecosystems, it’s essential to find the right balance between traditional and modern reading practices. Integrating books and digital resources allows us to nurture curiosity and build foundational literacy in a holistic way.
Hear from our librarian Ms. Alisele on fostering this balanced approach, merging the timeless joy of books with the advantages of digital resources to create lifelong readers.
How can we inspire a love for reading in the digital age? How can we balance students’ reading engagement between physical books and digital books/platforms?
At OWIS Riyadh, we inspire a love for reading by ensuring students engage with both physical and digital books in a meaningful way. Each class has dedicated library time, where students can explore hardcopy books, participate in read-alouds, and learn to choose books they enjoy. This allows for quiet, reflective reading and fosters a connection to physical books. We also have a daily program known as DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time, where students take a break to enjoy a snack and a book for 10 minutes, creating a rhythm that balances reading formats. Additionally, subjects like English and Arabic integrate digital books tailored to each student’s reading level, blending both forms to maximize engagement.
How do you ensure the library collection stays diverse and inclusive?
Maintaining a diverse and inclusive library collection is a top priority, and it starts with listening to our community. Every year, students create a wish list of books they want, which we include in our main school order. This lets them feel ownership and excitement about new additions. Teachers, who come from various backgrounds like our students, are also encouraged to contribute to the wish list. This year, we plan to involve parents as well, making the selection process even more collaborative and reflective of our community’s diversity
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How does technology enhance reading and literacy at OWIS Riyadh?
As an Apple-powered school, OWIS Riyadh fully integrates technology into our reading and literacy programs. Each student has a personal device, and we use platforms like McGraw Hill, Raz-Kids, IXL, I Read Arabic and Epic. For lower grades, we incorporate Khan Academy and Vooks to support reading at an early age. Our language policy includes a daily 20-minute reading assignment for home, and teachers often assign related tasks. This setup ensures that reading is accessible and engaging, with technology making books and resources available at students’ fingertips.
What strategies do you follow to promote independent reading?
We encourage independent reading through various activities, including free reading time in the library and buddy reading sessions. Additionally, we offer after-school programs, like Bookworms, for younger and middle school students to immerse them further in the joy of independent reading
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What special events or activities does the library organize to celebrate reading?
We have a range of special events to celebrate reading, with my favorites being our Summer and Winter Reading Challenges. This year, we’re excited to introduce an interschool reading challenge where OWIS Riyadh students will compete with other schools in the Global Schools Group. These events bring a sense of fun and accomplishment to reading.
How do you collaborate with teachers to support literacy across subjects?
As a school librarian, I work closely with homeroom teachers to maximize the library’s resources and role as a knowledge hub. I participate in planning meetings to stay updated on classroom content, allowing me to support and reinforce what students are learning across all subjects.
Can you share insights about OWIS Riyadh’s journey to becoming an Apple Distinguished School?
It’s been a remarkable journey so far! We’ve conducted comprehensive training on Apple’s native apps for all staff. Each teacher has created a portfolio demonstrating how they use Apple devices in their teaching. We established a teacher committee focused on working with both educators and parents to set consistent guidelines and fully leverage our devices for learning. We’re excited to be progressing on this journey to make OWIS Riyadh an Apple Distinguished School!
About Author
Alisele Mwigani
Librarian
