Gregston Vaughan, Language Arts Coordinator and Head of the Literacy Committee at All Saints’ Primary School explained that Reading Week is to sensitize and motivate the children to get involved in reading and know the importance of reading in their academic and social development.
The Barbados Advocate spoke to him at the launch of All Saints’ Primary School Reading Week. Vaughan explained, “The week of activities is to expose children to a variety of reading activities both inside and outside the classroom. We have professional development workshops for teachers and parents. We will also have the tuk band, music, visual arts, drama and the students art will be displayed in the Hall. We decided to have this Reading week at this time because it is Educational month and also the school has been making significant strides in terms of language and we just want to keep that drive. Our theme is ‘Read to Succeed; Let us read Anytime, Anywhere’ and we also have embodied this in a song ‘Read to Success’ written and composed by the music teacher. Just on Friday we received 10 NIFCA awards in Art, we are seeing the growth in our students and we want to stimulate their talents and we want to provide the opportunities for them to excel.”
According to Vaughan, “Reading is the gateway to knowledge; it is important in any area of work and to function in society. Also numeracy is also important, how to read utility bills etc. This is an integrated approach – reading is in every subject area, we have even gone as far to talk about body language and these skills will also help them in preparing for work. We have full support from our Principal, Keith Headley. Teachers will be going in different classes and engaging in different reading activities. Our learning support programme and our special unit are also involved in the reading week.Also parental involvement is key, on Wednesday we have a program mewhere the parents will come in and read but they will also be involved in educational workshops. At All Saints’, we foster a culture of parental involvement in the child’s development.”
The children will al os learn about the diversity in terms of their interpretation of language, “Technology does have its advantages and disadvantages and it also has brought a different type of language, to that extent there is a diversity in terms of their interpretation of language. What we try to do is to differentiate between dialect and Standard English, it is good for children to know both and to learn when, where and how.” (NB)