Reading Week in the Cayman Islands
is observed next week, 16-19 November.
In bringing the community’s attention to the importance of literacy,
Rolston Anglin, the minister of Education, Training and Employment, recently
quoted Emilie Buchwald, who said, “Children are created readers on the laps of
their parents.” This became the basis for the theme of the 2010 campaign,
Reading Week: Families and Literacy.
The minister underscored the
parent-child partnership that is necessary to develop the critical life skill
of reading.
Literacy a priority
As literacy is a priority for the
Ministry of Education, Mr. Anglin said,
“We recognise the importance of quality literacy instruction in our
schools. At the same time, we are also
aware that families have an important role to play in the success of our
students. Families are the first
teachers, and the values that they impart are the values with which students
enter our schools.
“Children from homes in which
discussion is a part of daily life, who are expected to both listen and
participate in conversation, are students who are ahead of the game; as are students
who come from homes where stories are read and told often,” he said.
Role of parents, teachers
Mr. Anglin also pointed out the
importance of literacy instruction in schools, which he said build upon a
foundation laid by the families, citing his own personal experience. “Although I owe much to my teachers, and I
have never failed to give credit where due, I also owe a debt to my parents who
set high expectations for me and expressed time and time again how education
was key to future success,” he said. “When the message that education matters
comes from the parents, it is important; when it comes jointly from parents and
teachers, the power is undeniable.”
Mr. Anglin also made reference to
former US president Lyndon Johnson, who “very clearly emphasised the importance
of the family in children’s education.” Mr. Anglin repeated this quote from
President Johnson to underscore his point: “The family is the cornerstone of
our society. More than any other force
it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the
child.”
The minister went on to say that
there are many things parents can do to help support literacy in the home that
neither cost much nor take much time. For example, he said, reading books from
the school library or the public library every night will help develop a love
of reading and vocabulary; turning off the car radio and having conversations
with children will help nurture a close relationship and improve language
skills.
He also cited the value of parents’
developing a relationship with their child’s teacher in order to monitor their
child’s growth.
Finally, in advance of the upcoming
campaign, Mr. Anglin acknowledged “the importance of the efforts our schools
are making to promote literacy” and
encouraged “all parents to work with our educators, as partners, to develop
able and enthusiastic readers.”
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