A Light for Studying: Reading

Many students like to study at night. It is quiet at night. The busy day is done. Classes and work are over. But in some parts of the world, students cannot study at night. In some parts of Africa, students do not have lights in their homes. Without lights, students cannot see to read or write. They must wait until the morning to study.

For these reasons, today is a happy day for 50 students in a small town in Sierra Leone, in West Africa. Today, the director of the school is giving 50 lights to 25 boys and 25 girls. These lights are special. They use the energy of the sun to work. After the lights sit in the sun for a few hours, they can shine brightly through the night.

One of the students to receive a light is Fatu. Fatu is 14. She studies hard. She gets up early every morning to do her homework. She is never late for class. The principal smiles when he gives Fatu the light. He tells her, “Congratulations.” Fatu is happy. She carries the light home to show her family. Everybody in the family wants to touch the light. They are proud of Fatu. They say, “Fatu, you are like this light. You shine bright, even in darkness.”

Put an X beside your stopping time on the progress chart, then answer the questions on the back of this page.