From Knowing a Single Letter to the Joy of Reading by the End of Preparatory Grade

In a classroom at the school in Căpușu Mic, Cluj County, one of the most beautiful definitions of hope through education is being written every day. Here, student R. has just completed preparatory grade. And she has finished it having made remarkable progress: from knowing just one letter at the beginning of preparatory grade, R. can now enthusiastically read books with short texts.

Behind the numbers showing her progress this year lies a genuine transformation, guided by the dedication of her primary school teacher, Cristina Bodnărescu, and supported by the right books arriving at the right time.

“R. was very excited, just like all the other students in the class, about the books they received through the Glittery Schools programme. For most of them, these were the first books they had ever had at home. R. had not attended kindergarten very regularly and scored 9 points in the initial assessment (she recognised only one letter), but she became so enthusiastic about school and books that she scored 134 points in the final assessment!” her teacher tells us.

Beyond the results of the initial assessment, however, there was great potential waiting to be discovered and developed. The transformation began when the books provided through the Glittery Schools programme arrived in the classroom. For most of the children, these were quite literally the first books they had ever owned at home.

“We Learned to Write and Read Almost Without Realising It”

The teacher quickly understood that traditional methods alone could not build the bridge these children needed to overcome the gaps they had when they entered preparatory grade. They needed an integrated, flexible approach adapted to each child’s individual learning pace.

“The initial difficulties were largely related to a lack of practice and insufficient development of phonemic awareness. Because the learning activities were varied, integrated and adapted to the interests of the class, R. made steady progress. Using the ABEL method, we learned to write and read almost without realising it. The amazement, pride and surprise on the children’s faces when they decoded or wrote their first words were priceless,” Cristina Bodnărescu recalls.

Books That Give Children Wings

The success of this learning journey was supported by a series of books from the Glittery Schools programme that became a regular part of the children’s literacy activities: Fli, fla, flu, Alma caută numere, Pantofii lui Mili, Grădina bunicului and Casa Mamei Antilopă.

The similar structure of the worksheets accompanying these books gave the children a sense of security and predictability, helping them work through the activities with increasing ease.

Beyond developing literacy skills, these resources also created opportunities for emotional connection and self-regulation in the classroom.

“I think their favourite is still Fli, fla, flu, because it was also their first book and it inspired a calming exercise that we sometimes do in class — we breathe in and out while flapping our wings like Ava: fli – fla – flu. I think these books give children wings! The methods I discovered through the All Children Read Association and the activities we carried out in the classroom made learning easier, more natural and less forced than with some traditional methods,” the teacher concludes.

R.’s story shows that literacy is more than a skill included in the curriculum. It is a pathway through which children discover confidence in their own abilities and the joy of learning.

The reassessment conducted at the end of the school year confirmed her remarkable progress: R. scored 134 points out of a maximum of 150 in the emergent literacy skills assessment.

Her story is just one of the many stories of progress written during this school year and shared with us by primary school teachers.

At the end of the school year, the literacy skills of children from more than 220 classes participating in the Glittery Schools programme were reassessed. It was an extensive and demanding process, carried out with patience and responsibility by teachers who individually assessed every child they had worked with throughout the year.

At the All Children Read Association, we are now beginning to analyse all these assessments. In the coming period, we will share the results, which will help us understand the programme’s impact and how the resources provided, together with teachers’ dedication, have contributed to the development of children’s literacy skills.

We hope the data will confirm many more stories of progress like the one from Căpușu Mic: that when the right books reach children’s hands and are accompanied by dedicated teachers, they can give children new wings for learning, confidence and achievement.