Parents and Business Sector called upon to play bigger role in Reading Month Activities

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations continues to strongly encourage parents and the corporate community to get even more involved in the school life of children, especially as it pertains to their ability to read.

Saint Lucia is celebrating Reading Month in May under the theme: Collaborating to Close the Literacy Gap – Read for Change. It is becoming increasingly clear that developing literacy cannot be the sole purview of the school. This theme encourages all stakeholders to contribute to the literacy development of children, both primary and secondary. Parents and the corporate community are encouraged to make their contributions by working with schools, principals, teachers and students.

Districts and Schools have been organizing their Literacy/ Reading activities around the theme, with the focus on #ReadForChange for students. Many of these activities revolve around parents, especially fathers; business persons, such as uniformed workers; and local icons, such as writers and traditional storytellers, who will come into the schools to participate in Literacy activities with students and teachers.

Schools have organized a Parents’ Potluck evening for parents to visit the school. Visitors will enjoy story and poetry reading, traditional storytelling, music and demonstrations by teachers on how literacy development can be supported at home, while enjoying the dishes contributed by parents.

Teachers, meantime, will have opportunities to meet with local authors at Book Cafés in the North and South of the island. These Cafés will be hosted by Saint Lucia Books in collaboration with Blue Coral and Jako Productions. Teachers will also participate in Library Seminars to share their best practices in using the Library during instruction and assessment. Hands Across the Sea, a non-Profit organization which promotes reading, will be collaborating in this endeavor, to be hosted in the North and South of the island.

The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations continues to reach out and encourage the corporate community to collaborate with it, and assist with literacy activities planned for the coming school year.

This year, the Department is collaborating with OECS Early Learners Programme, Hands Across the Sea, Peace Corps, Saint Lucia Books, Blue Coral and Jako Productions in the execution of organised activities.

— Source: Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development