Yayasan Literasi Anak Indonesia (YLAI) in cooperation with Education Department of Youth and Sport of Rendang District, Karangasem, is helping to foster a reading culture by developing reading corners in some of their schools. This initiative supports the government program, as written in the regulation of Minister of Education and Culture, Number 23, 2015 on Character Building, Development Center, Board of Language Development.

As a result, there are now 12 reading corners in classes 1, 2, and 3 in four elementary schools of Cluster VI Rendang Dictrict, Karangasem. These reading corners are in SD 1 Besakih, SDN 4 Besakih, SDN 6 Besakih, SDN 5 Besakih, SDN 2 Besakih, and SDN 3 Besakih. The purpose of developing reading corners in those classes is to create classrooms with rich reading sources, fostering the love of reading and providing a classroom environment where reading is truly valued and is an important part of the classroom program itself.

The development of this reading corners begins with the preparation of space for the reading corner. The space preparation includes the selection of the best corner (has enough light, is comfortable, does not hinder students’ mobility, can be monitored by teacher), painting the space in bright colors so that it stands out from the rest of the room, the installation of shelves that are easy to reach by the students, and the the use of carpets so that the reading corner becomes a comfortable space for students.

Once the space is ready, then teachers of the early age students are trained on the importance of a print rich environment, ways for managing reading corners, and reading activities that teachers can use to support a print rich classroom environment. Once the space is ready and the teachers agree on the importance of the reading corner and its usage, then the aids for the reading corner is handed over symbolically. Thees consist of 150 titles of books for each school, cushions, shelves for displaying books, carpets, posters, stationeries and other administrative equipment.

Now, the 12 reading corners developed by YLAI and fellow teachers in Cluster VI Rendang Karangasem have been enjoyed by hundreds of students. With the support of related departments, it is hoped that more reading corners and classes with rich reading sources will be created in Karangasem so that the reading culture will grow, and there will be more and more independent readers.