‘I insist on being directly involved in the literacy effort,’ Education Minister Alden McLaughlin, said on Wednesday, 4 October after reading the book Spiders from Outer Space to teenage students.
In a new literacy campaign launched that day, educators, students, members of the public and private sectors came together to answer a challenging question, posed by the Leading Edge High School: ‘What can we do to help students become better readers, better writers and better thinkers?’
According to a GIS release, behind this probing thought, a plan of action has been established by the school’s administrators, for the benefit of Leading Edge’s 245 students. It seeks to instil in youngsters the wonder of reading, discovery and learning.
George Hicks’ Campus Director, Adora Bodden-Groome, commented, ‘These motivations are fundamental to learning, and are natural from birth. However, with many modern distractions, the appreciation of reading – for enjoyment or for learning – seems to diminish as the students become older. Some of them don’t have access to materials at home, and we’re seeking to fill that gap.’
For these reasons, Leading Edge’s School Leader, Lyneth Monteith, and Deputy Leader, Evelyn Rockett, devised an immersion programme, which brings the entire community into the school. Central to the programme is the designation of each Friday of the entire school year as a special day for reading during tutorial time in the morning.
Minister McLaughlin led the way, along with a team of 11 high-profile volunteers, who first visited and read to classes. Volunteers included the Education Ministry’s Chief Officer Angela Martins, Chief Education Officer Nyda Flatley; and the CEOs, directors and senior staff of the Schools’ Inspectorate, the Water Authority, Caribbean Utilities Company, and Foster Group. Each of these agencies has made long-term commitments to continue assisting the literacy effort in various ways.
Leading Edge’s Home-School Association (HSA) President Suzette Cohen-Simms also read to a class, and assured the school of the parent group’s support.
‘This is a fantastic programme – the school is ensuring that the students do read.’ she said.
However, she added, ‘While the educators are showing the interest, I would like to see many more parents involved – even if it for only one of the 15-minute reading sessions. This is critical, for once you start, you never stop reading and learning.’
School’s plan
The school’s plan of action is called the Silent-Sustained Reading Programme. It includes reading to students during Friday morning tutorials; in-service staff training on reading strategies; training for students, using special reading strategies; establishing a literacy committee; and creating small libraries in each classroom, in addition to the school library.
After reading to the class, Minister McLaughlin held a discussion session, during which he advised: ‘Whatever you do, read. Learn new words, vocabulary and many new things.’
Noting that he read hundreds of books as a child, he said, ‘I would always have two books going at the same time. Books are a wonderful means of escaping; they transport us into other worlds.’
He added that Cayman didn’t have television during his childhood, and that the Islands didn’t have a local radio station until he was 15 years old.
School leaders said that the programme is intended to empower students by fostering better reading skills, and building a community of readers. Importantly, they want the programme to help turn around the results of standardized reading tests, which for the last two years have shown that students’ reading levels are below standard.
‘Students who fall behind in literacy will face this issue throughout the rest of their education, as they are always trying to catch up.” Ms Monteith said.
Ms Monteith said that teachers’ training will include reading strategy workshops; incorporating specific times for planning and observation of reading initiatives and coordinating classroom libraries.
She also emphasised that this is a dynamic process, and teachers are encouraged to try different strategies until the best approach is found for their students. They are also encouraged to share their experiences and successes with other educators.
Stakeholder action
However, Ms Monteith acknowledged that the best way of improving literacy is for everyone to be a part of the solution.
‘This problem can only be addressed if action is taken by all stakeholders,’ she emphasised.
For example, students will be encouraged to bring in reading material, and participation in the programme will be mandatory for all. Parents are especially encouraged to help, either with the reading programme or at home.
Anyone may donate books to the class libraries, or volunteer to assist with reading during any school day, Ms Monteith said.
Deputy School Leader Ms Rockett noted that this initiative was inspired by government’s new emphasis on literacy and specifically, the experiences while attending a ‘Small School’ education conference in Denver, Colorado in July of this year.
Ms Monteith added that the other three high schools on the George Hicks Campus, as well as John Gray High and all other public and private schools in the Cayman Islands, are encouraged to share information and develop literacy enhancement programmes.
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