Eighty-four books in three months: How a Room to Read library helped Lio fall in love with reading

The same year 10-year-old Lio began Grade 5, Room to Read partnered with his primary school in Battambang Province, Cambodia, about 300 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh. Our local team trained early-grade teachers in effective literacy instruction and established a brand-new school library — warm and welcoming and filled with colorful, age-appropriate children’s books.  Ms. Kong Sopheavy, Lio’s Grade 5 teacher, shared that she was surprised to see how quickly the library changed things for Lio.   
 
"Lio is very different than before," Ms. Kong Sopheavy shared. "He used to not pay attention in class. He liked to play a lot, but now he is very keen on reading books and has become an outstanding student."

Lio reads a book outside during playtime. 

In just three months, Ms. Kong Sopheavy said, Lio, who had previously shown little interest in reading, checked out 84 books from the library. He reported to his teacher that he read the books with his mother. In time, he began reading them aloud to his younger siblings.  
 
Ms. Kong Sopheavy noted that it took only one visit to the library to capture Lio’s attention. He was instantly curious about the check-out system, she said, eager to borrow books to take home. The process of checking out books seemed to become a happy routine, one that Lio clearly looked forward to. And being able to practice his reading every evening at home allowed Lio’s reading skills and reading confidence to grow. He returned again and again to the library to discover new books. Sometimes he simply couldn’t wait to get home to read them, choosing to skip playtime and read books in his classroom instead.  
 
"As soon as the library opens its doors, Lio always comes to borrow books. He even helps to organize the books according to the reading levels," Ms. Kong Sopheavy shared.  

Children line up to check out books at a school library implemented by Room to Read in Cambodia.

Lio, she added, now understands the joy of reading for fun. "Reading books makes me feel happy," he said, smiling wide. "I love the different characters in each story. I especially like folktales. Reading has also improved my studying."
 
"My son has changed his attitude positively!" Lio’s mom exclaimed. "In the past, he only liked to play on the phone. He rarely helped with household chores, but now my child is more interested in reading books and helping with housework and taking care of his younger siblings when I am busy cooking or cleaning."

Holding a book in his hand, Lio said: "The libraries should not only be available at school, but they should also be in the village and at home to create reading habits for everyone."

We couldn’t agree more, Lio!  

Lio stands proudly with a book from his school library.

Room to Read partners with schools to establish libraries that support student learning and advocate with governments to make sure every child has access to a child-friendly library filled with developmentally appropriate, diverse and engaging books. Our Library Rating System ensures our libraries are high-functioning and sustainable through twice-yearly assessments that track 15 indicators on a prioritized checklist and rate performance. The system helps prioritize and identify schools that need extra support. 

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