Questelles Government School completes Literacy Week

by Orde Ballantyne Fri, Oct 22, 2010

The Questelles Government School, under the guidance of the School’s Literacy Committee, held another successful week of activities under the theme “Read, read, read a book”.{{more}}

This week climaxed on Friday, October 15, with a reading showcase in which 52 students along with three teachers read.

For the period September 27 to October 1, the school executed its internal reading analyses, and this was highlighted in the headteacher’s report, which was the first item on the programme. He stated that families are the foundation for our future, individually and collectively, and literacy is the basis for any type of functional development in our classrooms, homes and the society. Therefore, families that read together have a greater chance of functional success than those who do not.

He reported that the CETT programme has been discontinued and this may impact the school negatively, as one of the objectives was to reduce the number of students reading at two grade levels below their class level from 32% to 15% by 2012. The headteacher suggested that the work required for such an accomplishment involves differentiated teaching strategies, and in reality, the school lacked the basic facilities for inclusion classrooms specifically: a teacher’s assistant, a photocopier, ready access to computers with programmes for these students, best practice data and parental support, to name some of the more salient ones; yet, the teachers labored on.

Despite the above mentioned inadequacies, the headteacher reported that the Questelles teachers defied the odds, hence the improvement on the internal reading diagnostic tests, where 75% of the students showed improvement by at least 1 grade level. The analyses further revealed that the 68 who were reading below grade 1 have remained almost the same, while the number of students reading 2 and/or more grade levels below their class level moved from 113 to 79 or a 13% improvement. This he said was quite an amazing feat and the teachers are to be praised for their effort.

Miss George, the Chairperson of the Literacy Committee, in her remarks, recalled that during the week of activities, about 74 students from all grade levels were able to participate in an oral reading exercise under the mango tree. The reading pieces ranged from the letters of the alphabet to an entire book. She charged those who seem not to be interested in reading to make a fresh start, and to those who can, to strive to do even better.

The first item of student reading on the progrmame was a choral speech by the Grade 2s “Perfectly me”. They wanted to be nobody else. This was a perfect start to an exciting culminating exercise. After several other performances, it was the item by Drewvornie Charles, “Classroom talk”, that provoked an enthusiastic response from the packed student and teacher audience. Grade 3s “Funny Words” which “gave the mind the jitters” had the teachers in stitches because homophones is part of the curriculum and it had to be taught. When MC Suzette Straker announced “Thank God It’s Friday” to be read by Tiana Charles, all were in a state of suspension. Whatever was going to be her pronouncement would be welcomed by all; after all it was Friday.

Every year the local poem, “Neighbour talk” brings the house down. True to form, Doricia Young’s dramatic performance of this piece was a crowd pleaser. The students can easily relate to this local dialect piece; it is their language.

The readers spanned the various proficiency levels in the school, non –readers, poor readers, average readers, great readers. All were given equal opportunities to experience reading for the joy and the comfort it brings. Many read stories showing off their skills. Some read simple sentences, but they read; some read words with pictures, but they read; some read just the alphabet, but they read, some were given assistance, but they read; two came up and could not continue because of their laughter, but all attempted to read. It was a great successful exercise.

Read, read, read your books, magazines, newspapers, e-mails, facebook wall, twitter, text messages, letters, postcards, food labels, classwork and homework; read whatever you are given. Let us remember that at first we learn to read but after, we read to learn. Steady reading brings success.