Rotary Club St Vincent hosts Dyslexia Awareness Symposium

With the goal of effectively working with Dyslexic students in the classroom, the Rotary Club officially opened a two-day Dyslexia Awareness Workshop, on Monday, May 13, which saw several teachers in attendance.

Representative of the Ministry of Education, Netta Thomas

Representative of the Ministry of Education, Netta Thomas, pointed out that Dyslexia affects a child’s ability to recognize new words; ultimately, it is a learning disorder. Thomas encouraged teachers to share information gained from the symposium with other members of staff and to put what was learnt into practice.

President of the Rotary Club St Vincent, Reuben John said this project is high on the Rotary Club’s agenda and added that the aim is for knowledge and insight gained from this symposium to be disbursed into the classrooms. John emphasized that the involvement of parents is key in assisting persons with Dyslexia.

The Rotary President also revealed that the Rotary Club has actively been collaborating with the Ministry of Education, Reconciliation, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Information, programmes such as the: Food and Nutrition Quiz, the Youth Empowerment (YES) Program and the George Phillips Award for over 10 years.

President of the Rotary Club St Vincent, Reuben John

Representative of the Barbados Dyslexia Association and facilitator of the two-day session, Sandra Cadougan, noted that the objective is for participants to have an insight into coping with Dyslexic students.

Day One of the workshop, which took place at Frenches House, saw the Primary School Teachers engaged in various activities, while Day Two will see participation from Secondary School Teachers. This is the third time the Rotary Club St Vincent has partnered with the Ministry of Education, Reconciliation, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Information, to create awareness about issues surrounding Dyslexia.