Reading Time: 5 minutes

What if every child in Jamaica could reach for a story whenever they become curious? A story before bedtime. A book on a rainy afternoon. A favourite tale on the way to school. A new adventure discovered at the library. Or, when getting to a library or buying a book is not possible, a story waiting on a phone or tablet at home.

That is the promise behind Learning Passport Jamaica (https://jamaica.learningpassport.org) and it is why, this International Literacy Day, we should be thinking not just about getting children to read, but about putting more stories within their reach.

My work in education, early childhood development and literacy has repeatedly brought me back to a simple truth: children learn through relationships, conversation, play and stories. Long before a child can read independently, they need opportunities to listen, look, wonder, ask questions and experience the joy of being read to. 

That was one of the ideas behind my work with the Government of Jamaica on Bookstart in the mid-2000s. The ambition was simple: help families introduce children to books from their earliest years and understand that literacy does not begin on the first day of school.

It begins with a baby hearing a story.

It begins with a parent turning the pages of a picture book.

It begins when a child hears a new word and asks, “What does that mean?”

It begins when a child discovers that books can be a source of pleasure, imagination and connection.

Bookstart showed us something important. Families loved books and wanted more of them. But building and maintaining a national book-gifting programme was difficult to finance sustainably. At the time, access to stories depended heavily on what could be printed, purchased, stored and physically distributed.

Today, we have another way to expand access.

Through Learning Passport Jamaica, developed by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, children and families can access a growing collection of local, regional and international children’s books and learning resources, from early childhood through Grade 6. It is available online and through the Google Play Store. Think of it as a library that can travel home with a child.

It does not replace the school library nor the public library or a bookstore. And it certainly does not replace the experience of holding a book, turning its pages and discovering something new in a quiet corner of a library. Instead, it complements them.

A child can visit the local library, choose a book and take that experience home. They can also open Learning Passport Jamaica and discover another story without having to wait for the next library visit.

That matters because access to books is not equal for every child. National data show that between 2011 and 2022, the percentage of Jamaican households with young children owning three or more children’s books declined from 54.7 per cent to 44 per cent. The data point to a widening socioeconomic gap in access to books during the early years.

Technology cannot solve every barrier to literacy. But it can help us remove one important barrier: access to stories and learning resources. And the smartphone that is already in many Jamaican homes does not have to be used only for chatting, scrolling or gaming. It can also open a door to reading, listening, learning and imagination. But here is the important part: the device is not the teacher. The adult-child interaction is.

For a young child, a parent can choose an audio-enabled story and listen together. Listening to audio stories protects children’s eye health and forces their brains to actively build mental imagery, unlike rapid-fire cartoon videos that cause eye strain and blue-light exposure through passive viewing. Medical guidance emphasises balance, age-appropriate limits, and prioritising quality content over rigid restriction as children age. 

Whether listening or reading stories together, it is important to sit close. Talk about the pictures. Ask, “What do you think will happen next?” Point out something interesting. Introduce a new word. Let the child ask questions.

As children age, they can begin choosing stories that capture their imagination, reading or listening more independently, and exploring the games and activities connected to the stories.

The technology is simply the doorway. 

The real magic happens when a child and an adult walk through it together.

And this is where libraries matter too. A library is more than a building filled with books. It is a place where children can discover stories they might never encounter at home. It is a place to browse, choose, wonder and develop the habit of reading for pleasure.

I would like to suggest a simple ambition: A library in every home and a family that knows how to use it. For some families, that library may be a shelf filled with favourite books. For others, it may be a regular visit to the local library. And for many, it can also include Learning Passport Jamaica, a growing collection of stories and learning resources available at home, on a device that is already part of everyday life.

We invite Jamaican families to make a small commitment this International Literacy Day:

Visit Learning Passport Jamaica once or twice a week.

Choose a story.

• Listen, read, talk and play together.
• Visit your local library or bookstore.
• And, whenever possible, give a book as a gift.
• Because literacy is not something that happens only in a classroom.
• It happens on a parent’s lap.
• It happens in a library and when a child asks, “Why?”
• It happens when a parent introduces a new word on the drive or walk to school and when they talk about what they see.
• It happens when a child watches a parent read and when a shopping list is discussed and written, and also when a recipe becomes an opportunity to read, count and talk.
• And yes, it can happen when a child listens to or reads a story on a phone or tablet.

Every one of these moments counts. 

Let’s make reading less of a homework assignment and more of a habit. Let’s connect homes, schools and libraries so that children encounter stories wherever they are.

And let’s use Learning Passport Jamaica to extend that circle of opportunity so that even when a physical book or library is not immediately available, a world of stories can still be within reach.

The commitment is small.

An adult.
A child.
A story.
A library.
And a world of possibilities within reach.

Let’s put a library in every home and help every child discover the joy of opening it.

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Dr. Rebecca Tortello is a UNICEF Education Specialist