A message to the Ministry of Education, parents

Fri, Nov 30, 2012

Editor: For many years now there has been a cry throughout the Caribbean that most of our youths are unable to read properly or simply cannot read at all. What can we do to attempt to solve this problem or at least reduce it significantly? With technology so easily available, I am calling on the Ministry of Education here in St Vincent to establish a website that will show teachers and parents how to teach children to read.{{more}} I know that there is no one correct way to teach children to read, but how good it can be to have a website that outlines a number of methods of teaching reading that both teachers and parents can use to help their children.

Show them a sequence to use to teach reading – Step 1… Step 2… Step 3 … etc. Based on the child’s ability, show what teaching method may work best for that child. After establishing the website, the Ministry of Education can then inform the principals of all schools, who in turn will inform teachers and parents of the website and encourage them to make full use of it. Also, the Ministry of Education can advertise the name of the reading website on television, maybe just before the Evening News at 7 p.m. each day. Parents, your role is vital in assisting your children to learn to read. So, please help them. Many children who succeed in schools are those who have the support of their parents.

So, if the Ministry of Education follows through on the suggestion given above, please use the website and help your children to learn to read. In the meantime, you can make use of reading programs online, such as Starfall, which some parents are already using. So rather than fussing about children cannot read and teachers this and that, let us do something positive to assist our children. Ministry of Education, I implore you: Please, please, please, accept my aforementioned suggestion, which can go a long way in helping the nation’s children to learn to read properly. The rewards will indeed be great.

Very Concerned,

BP