DARLISTON, Westmoreland — Beaufort Primary School has reimagined what it means to celebrate reading. Moving beyond traditional in-house activities, the school embraced a novel approach to Read Across Jamaica Day by having its students read stories they wrote to infant learners at Early Childhood Institutions (ECIs) in Darliston, Westmoreland.

“Beaufort Primary was inspired by the belief that literacy should extend beyond the walls of the classroom,” the school’s principal Heather Spence shared with the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.

“We wanted to make reading meaningful, impactful, and community-centred. By taking our students into the wider school community, we created an opportunity for them to not only celebrate reading, but to become ambassadors of literacy and role models for younger learners.”

Visits were made to neighbouring Ina Murdock ECI and Vergie O’Connor ECI, where students engaged in reading sessions.

This approach provided an authentic learning experience for older students while exposing younger ones to confident, expressive reading. It was a reflection of a deeper understanding that literacy development thrives through collaboration, mentorship, and real-world engagement.

Student readers were selected by their teachers based on reading ability, confidence, and leadership qualities. Preparation went a step further, as students were encouraged to create their own stories, complete with original characters and titles.

This creative process not only strengthened their literacy skills but also gave them a sense of ownership and pride in what they shared with their audience of younger learners.

In addition, Beaufort Primary School made donations to each school, which included hand wash and soap, tissue, hand towels, hand sanitiser, toothpaste, pencils, and notebooks. Despite still struggling to regain their footing after Hurricane Melissa’s horrendous impact on their community, donations in cash and kind were received from parents, staff, and students.

The impact of Tuesday’s initiative was two-fold. For Beaufort’s students, the experience fostered confidence, leadership, and a stronger appreciation for reading as a powerful tool.

For the infant learners, it sparked excitement and curiosity about books. Their response was overwhelmingly positive, young listeners were attentive, engaged, and eager to interact, asking questions and responding enthusiastically to the stories. The activity also served a strategic purpose, demonstrating to parents and educators within ECIs that literacy is a foundational pillar of education, while building relationships that may encourage enrolment into Grade One for the upcoming September 2026 academic year.

Beyond the immediate experience, the initiative reinforced key literacy skills such as fluency, comprehension, and communication while promoting reading as a lifelong habit. It also highlighted the importance of community partnerships in education, positioning literacy as a shared responsibility among schools, families, and the wider society.

Organising the event was not without its challenges. Coordinating schedules, arranging transportation, and ensuring adequate supervision required careful planning and teamwork. However, Spence said these obstacles were managed through effective communication and the dedicated support of teachers and parents.

“Teamwork and organisation played a key role in the success of the initiative,” Spence said. “Educators, including Arlene Llewellyn, Claudia Ricketts-Brown, Dejahnea Wiggan, Sashauna Heath, and myself played integral roles in guiding the students during their visits. The team was split into two groups: One group went to one ECI and the other group to the next.”

Feedback from all stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive. Teachers praised the initiative as an innovative approach to literacy, parents expressed pride in their children’s participation, and the host schools conveyed sincere gratitude not only for the reading sessions but also for the thoughtful gifts presented.

Beaufort Primary students Azariah Reid (left), Arianna Coke (centre) and Shamar Smith read to children, Tuesday, at Vergie O’Conner Early Childhood Institution in Darliston, Westmoreland during Read Across Jamaica Day.

Despite still struggling to regain their footing after the horrendous impact of Hurricane Melissa on their community, donations were received from parents, staff and students in cash and kind.