The seeds of literacy are sprouting at Jose Angel Ulloa Elementary School

It has been just over a month since Jose Angel Ulloa Elementary School opened the doors to its very first library. Thanks to the incredible volunteers who worked tirelessly on the installation and inauguration, the school community is experiencing the profound impact of access to their First. Books. Ever.

The library committee and teachers were determined to maximize student access, implementing a schedule that allows every teacher 2 dedicated hours in the library each week. Teachers have spoken proudly about how they’re getting better at measuring student reading levels and helping students find books that spark their curiosity. Each class has visited the library between 4 and 6 times, and just this week, the teachers exchanged their classroom collections for the first time. With this amount of access to their new books, some 5th graders have devoured between 10-15 books in just a month and a half! 

The librarian, Franklyn Barahona, is thrilled by the students’ and teachers’ keen interest in the library. According to him, “los niños están super motivados porque quieren venir más veces a la biblioteca. Muchos estudiantes procuran leer y respetar las reglas de la biblioteca para que Lucía los visite otra vez.” (The kids are super motivated because they want to come to the library more often. Many students are eager to read and they respect the rules of the library because they want Lucia [the Chispa Puppet] to visit again!)

Truly, though, the students are the best testament to the incredible impact this library has had. Here are some testimonials from the kiddos about their first month with their book collections:

Brenny (5th grade): He has read nearly all the books in his classroom box and is helping his classmate, Keneth, improve his reading fluency. Brenny was already a strong reader before the library was installed, but now he’s more excited than ever. In his words, “Una amiga me recomendó la Escuela del Espanto. Me gustó mucho leerla y ya terminé los 3 libros de la saga.” (A friend recommended Eerie Elementary [series] to me. I liked it a lot and I’ve since finished the 3 books in the trilogy.)

Sofía: (5th grade): “Leí 2 veces Kathy y las abejas porque me gustó mucho.” (I’ve read Kathy and the Bees twice because I loved it so much!)

Braylon (4th grade): “Mi libro favorito ha sido Bienvenidos al circo porque traía muchas sorpresas cuando lo leí.” (My favorite book has been Welcome to the Circus because it was full of surprises.)

Fabian (4th grade): “El autobús mágico me gustó bastante porque el autobús vuela como el viento.” (I liked The Magic School Bus a lot because the bus flies like the wind!)

We love to see that students are connecting with the books they’re reading, finding ones in alignment with their reading level and interests. And what a beautiful thing, to have students supporting other students as they grow as readers, both through mentorship and recommendations! This is the power of books; they bring students together, foster empathy and community building, and build excitement for exploring new worlds and ideas.

Now, 353 students have access to books that will shape their futures in ways we can’t yet imagine.