Let’s Read Asia
USABILITY/STATUS: In Use
INNOVATOR: The Asia Foundation
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: Asia
SOLUTION TYPE: Digital Library
Summary
The Let’s Read Asia library is full of books in 50+ languages that explore important topics such as gender equality, environment and climate action, diversity, understanding and empathy, and science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Every book can be downloaded and printed for offline use.
Usability/Features
- Operating system: Windows, iOS, Android
- Hardware: Computer, tablet, smartphone
- Connectivity: Online/offline
- Accessibility features: Audio, alt text image descriptions
- Accessories needed for use: Headphones, speakers, printer (if needed)
- Other features: Tracks individual reading time, allows you to save books on a personal bookshelf
How it supports learning: Let’s Read can be used to support at-home learning, community-based learning, and learning at school. With hundreds of books available in 50+ languages, including some with audio, learners can be supported universally. For example, in a national program in Indonesia called School Literacy Movement, classes are expected to do a 15-minute regular reading activity every day, including for English class. However, many classes had limited access to both storybooks and ready-to-use follow-up activities. Schools were able to use the Let’s Read e-books at activities during this 15-minute block of time. This type of reading activity promotes L2 learners’ language development, increases their motivation in reading, and helps them build reading habits.
Costs: Free, no cost to use
Other cost considerations: Advertising to targeted populations
Setting/Context
Settings: Home, school, community
Target Populations: Children, parents, teachers, NGOs
Current Language(s): 50+
Geography (locations): Asia
Research and Case Studies
Supporting Research
- The Application of Let’s Read in Extensive Reading
- Ready2Read & Play: Project Evaluation
- UnrestrICTed Challenge: Leveraging Existing Accessibility Resources in Nepal (LEARN) Project Evaluation
Use Case
In its Begin with Books project, funded by ACR GCD, the Asia Foundation produced a total of 404 newly available children’s storybook versions across five underserved languages in Asia and the Pacific, as well as 33 additional English language books. This included adapting 347 stories into local languages (Tamang, Lao, Enga, Hiri Motu, and Tok Pisin), 50 stories into Nepali Sign Language, and creating 40 brand new stories (Lao and Tamang). These books are now freely available for anyone to access, worldwide, on the Let’s Read library and have been shared with the Global Digital Library. They have also been added to the Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD) platform in Nepal and are being used in reading programs across Nepal.
Related Training Materials, Toolkits, and Resources
Resources
The library can link to collections of books in a certain language, like Tok Pisin.