MARCH 25/2014 UPDATE ON LITERACY ALIVE

 

To Belize friends, friends of Rotary and anyone interested in improving literacy in Belize---

 

You may be interested to know about some reading support activities going on in Cayo this week.  Please read on...

 

LITERACY ALIVE ROTARY PROJECT IN BELIZE

 

A Vocational Training Team of 17 volunteers from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada arrived to the Cayo District last weekend.  They are busy working with teachers, school principals, Ministry of Education officials and volunteers from the Cayo district.   80 educators from Belmopan and San Ignacio participated in professional learning activities all day March 24 and for the balance of the week the Canadian team will be working with students, parents,  community volunteers and educators in St. Martin Government School (Belmopan) and Sacred Heart Primary School (San Ignacio).  25 high school teachers in Belize City also joined in literacy training the previous week.  

The Literacy Alive Project is in the third year of operation working with Cayo schools.  The project is supported by Rotary funding from both countries and donations from many Red Deer, Alberta schools.  Funding (over 150,000 Am) since the onset of the project has supported training teacher member costs,  professional development of Cayo teachers and the purchase of considerable reading teaching and learning resources which have been placed in the Cayo pilot schools.

 

The purposes of the Literacy Alive project is to improve reading levels in targetted primary schools.  A unique dimension of the project is the recruitment and training of community volunteers to assist teachers in the classroom during an assigned Reading block of study for one hour four times a week.  These Reading Coach volunteers receive training on specific reading interventions and under the direct guidance of the classroom teacher they work with small groups of children on drill and practice reading strategies so that the classroom teacher can work with a second group of students on different reading strategies.  This provides increased adult support for reading for at least two groups of students in a classroom. The  most recent phase of the project began last November with approximatley fifty Reading Coaches receiving training and recognition certificates of completion.   This week additional Reading Coaches are being  recruited and trained.  School principals and teachers as well as Parent Councils assist in recruiting volunteers.  The first five months of the project has demonstrated notable improvements in literacy awareness by Belize teachers and the community.

To further draw  parent and community attention to the critical importance of students becoming strong readers the Canadian Team is leading the Belize educators in a celebration  Reading Flash Mob on Thursday March 25.

 

A rock song  hit -I've Got a Feeling - performed by the rock band Black Eyed Peas was rewritten (with permission) to the words Got To Keep Reading.   This rendition will be performed by all the students in the Literacy Alive schools as per the following schedule:

 

St. Martin's School (Belmopan) - Performance at Brodie's Supermarket  ( branch nearest to St. Martin school) 1:30 Thursday, March 25.

 

Sacred Heart Primary School (San Ignacio)   - Performance at 3:00 in the town Welcome Square.

 

Both schools will also host an OPEN DAY where parents and community members are invited to come to the school and witness reading intervention learning activities.  Each school will also host a student assembly as part of the OPEN DAY.  Students will practice the Got to Keep Reading song and dance.  Many reading prizes will be awarded and the newly trained Community Volunteer Reading Coaches will be recognized with Certificates of Completion as part of the assembly activities.

 

OPEN DAY ACTIVITIES  will take place all morning, Thursday March 27 at both St. Martin and Sacred Heart Schools.

 

Led by the teachers and Principals both schools will lead all students to the public site where the students will perform.  All parents,  community members and tourists are most welcome to join in the song and dance to celebrate that books and reading are important.  Promotional information will be circulated to audience members inviting individuals to consider donating an hour a week to local schools as volunteer Reading Coaches.

 

Educational research supports that if students are motiviated and inspired to read, that with guided practice all students can learn to read at grade level.  The Canadian and Belize members of the Literacy Alive project believe that incorporating trendy rock music to relevant lyrics about reading importance could motivate student to become more inspired to conquer basic English Reading skills with ongoing success.

 

Come out to the Got To Keep Reading Flash Mob and join in a celebration of Reading!

 

For more information contact the school Principals, the Cayo Ministry Office of Education or Rotary Project directors:  Dr. Lynne Paradis -  Rotary Club of Red Deer Alberta.   Mrs Sheree Fukai - President of the San Ignacio Rotary Club. Contact Canadian Team members at the Aquada Hotel in St. Helena where they will be staying  for the week.

 

We hope you can join in our celebration of Reading.  Bring a friend.  Tell others about the Open Day assemblies and the Reading Flash Mob event.

 

Warm regards

Paradis Educational Consulting Canaada

Rotary Club of Red Deer.

 

email:  paradislynne@gmail.com