Child Aid’s goal is to improve children’s literacy skills so they become strong and independent readers and critical thinkers. Our Reading for Life program follows best practices to provide young readers the basic resources they need to learn and thrive: Skilled and confident teachers, engaging books, and opportunities to read every day, both in and […] Continue Reading
Child Aid News
Meet Some of The Newest Reading for Life Teachers
Three of Child Aid’s newest Reading for Life schools are also some of the most remote. The tiny communities of Xeatan Alto, Chuinimachicaj, and Chichoy Bajo are located in the mountains high above Lake Atitlan in the state of Chimaltenango. Because of the altitude, it is cold and foggy much of the year, and the […] Continue Reading
Creating a Library for the Love of Books
On the first Monday of August last year, the school in the small rural community of Xejolon opened the doors of their school library to students for the first time. The library is set up in a small classroom with a few shelves of books, displays organized into themes and a reading corner. It is […] Continue Reading
Book Delivery Day 2017
This February, we loaded pickup trucks at our office in Panajachel with boxes of books and bookshelves and headed out to deliver them to each of the 68 schools participating in our Reading for Life program this year. Follow the journey of the books from semi truck to the hands of eager readers. Read the […] Continue Reading
Postcards from Guatemala
Meet some of the teachers, students and staff who are benefiting from your support of literacy and education. Continue Reading
Training Teachers for Success in the Classroom
Visit a teacher training workshop in Guatemala to see how Child Aid is helping teachers learn practical techniques for teaching reading and literacy. Continue Reading
Video: Training Teachers for Success in the Classroom
For a child who is learning how to read, having a skilled and effective teacher is critical to her success. An effective teacher can make reading engaging and fun, uses questions to stimulate conversation and critical thinking and adapts their techniques to the needs of their students. But today, schools in Guatemala face a chronic […] Continue Reading
Video: Building Literacy Skills Through Reading Aloud
In Guatemalan classrooms, the traditional methods of reading instruction focus on memorization and decoding. Students learn to read simple sentences but often do not understand what they are reading. In this video, see how Child Aid’s teacher training program is transforming how reading and literacy are taught in Guatemala. In our training workshops, teachers learn […] Continue Reading
Training Guatemalan Teachers How to Read Aloud
Reading comprehension and critical thinking skills are vital components of literacy and learning. Without them, students struggle to make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. But in rural Guatemalan classrooms, most teachers use traditional methods of reading instruction that focus on memorization and the mechanics of reading. Students learn to decode […] Continue Reading
Book Distribution Day
In early July, representatives from 19 schools, libraries and community organizations from around Guatemala came to Antigua for Child Aid’s Book Distribution Day. There was a lot of excitement as attendees participated in a half-day orientation and then lined up at our warehouse to pickup boxes of brand new books to take back to their […] Continue Reading