The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is encouraging schools across the island to promote reading for enjoyment, participation, and meaningful engagement on Read Across Jamaica Day on Tuesday (May 5).
The observance is part of activities for Education Week 2026 from May 3 to 9.
Under the theme: ‘Literacy Resilience: Foundation of Nation Building,’ the day underscores the importance of reading as a cornerstone of personal growth and national development.
The Ministry, in a bulletin, is advising that all materials selected for reading to children, or by children themselves, should be appropriately levelled to foster confidence and enjoyment. Supplemental resources such as Jolly Readers, Rapid Readers, and Focused Phonics Readers are excellent examples of levelled texts. Visiting readers are especially encouraged to choose these materials and collaborate with libraries and authors where possible in selecting short, engaging, and colourful texts.
For younger children, books with repetitive language are particularly effective in promoting interaction and active participation.
For older students, selections should remain engaging, with age-appropriate themes and graphics that sustain interest. Practical tips have been included to guide both readers and listeners in making the experience enjoyable and enriching. School administrators are urged to create structured reading opportunities that foster participation and interaction.
Suggested activities include having older students reading to younger ones to build fluency and confidence, active involvement of Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) members and the wider school community, adults reading to each other to reinforce a shared culture of reading, and structured discussions on themes and ideas from texts to strengthen comprehension and critical thinking.
Key stakeholders from the public and private sectors are also encouraged to visit schools and read with students. Schools are asked to accommodate these visits while ensuring that all required protocols are observed. The Ministry is committed to strengthening literacy outcomes across Jamaica.
