From 1 to 17 September, our Primary School celebrated a fortnight of literacy through our first-ever BDSIS Read-a-thon, along with author visits, parent read-alouds, DEAR Time, recess reading sessions, Literacy Morning and Literacy Evening. Together, these experiences gave our students the time and space to read, reflect, share and discover beyond the classroom. We were delighted to welcome authors Shantanu Naidu, Sabrina Merchant, Lavanya Karthik, Raisha Lalwani and Yuti Jhaveri, and we extend a sincere thank you to them, and to our parents, teachers and Library team, for making the fortnight so meaningful for our students.
The response to the Read-a-thon has been immensely encouraging. Across Grades 1–5, 244 students from 15 classes collectively recorded 1,668 hours of reading over the two weeks, taking us to 113% of our school-wide target. Most classes showed increased engagement from the first week to the second, reflecting the momentum that built as the Read-a-thon progressed.
View the grade-by-grade Read-a-thon journey from 1 to 17 September.
We brought our literacy celebrations together at the Primary School Assembly on Wednesday, 30 September, where we recognised the participation and achievements of our students across the fortnight. Certificates were presented to the top two readers from each grade level in recognition of their exceptional commitment to reading, honouring individual achievement alongside the collective enthusiasm for reading across the Primary School.
The Read-a-thon was designed to encourage student agency and intentionality in reading, giving students the opportunity to make thoughtful choices about what they read, engage deeply with texts and reflect on their reading journeys. Their reading logs, reflections and conversations offered us a valuable glimpse into the breadth and depth of their engagement with books.
Our Book Donation Drive added another important dimension to the fortnight. In collaboration with Literature Live!, our students contributed 1,127 books, which will be donated to Akshara Library. The drive also helped our students recognise that literacy is about access, sharing and responsibility, and that something as simple as passing on a book can extend its reach well beyond the reader who first opened it.
Although the Read-a-thon has ended, we hope the reading habits it encouraged will continue at home, and we urge families to protect time for reading each day. Regular reading develops vocabulary, comprehension and fluency, but its value extends well beyond these measurable skills. It builds curiosity, perspective and the capacity to engage with ideas. Positive patterns become habits, and positive habits become character.
