Dear Editor,
Reading has been on the decline in the Jamaican society for quite a while. We live in a society, and indeed a world where cultural norms are changing almost daily. As technology develops, more and more of our students are acquiring the latest gadgets, leaving little or no time for recreational reading. Many of our students and adults alike have what is obviously an obsession with listening to music mainly of a specific genre. It has become a rarity to see a student or adult reading a novel.
The declining rate in literacy is more pronounced at the secondary level of the education system. This fall in reading level can be attributed to, among other factors, the absence of a standardised national literacy test at the secondary level of the education system. What is required is a shift by the nation's policymakers to encourage more reading. We need to examine the possibility of including a Grade Seven or a Grade Eight Literacy Test. This will provide the impetus to do more in improving the literacy of our students.
There is an urgent need for us to constantly access and monitor our students. Additionally, we need to develop policies that emerge from empirical data to improve the educational outcome of our students. In establishing a literacy test at the secondary level we would be able to track the progress, or lack thereof, of each student. The fact that each student already has a profile by the time he/she reaches the secondary level would make this process easier. This would make it quite easy to make a comparison of the student's score on their Grade Four Literacy Test. Appropriate remedial work could then be done to address the needs of specific students.
It is foolhardy to think that an increase in literacy specialists is tantamount to improving reading levels. We need an infusion of all subject teachers to do more reading in the content area. We also need to reduce the student/teacher ratio in our schools to manageable levels where teachers can be more effective in working with challenged students.
Yes, the times are challenging and the resources of the State are limited; however, there is an urgent need for educators to do more. We need to redouble our efforts to incorporate the use of authentic forms of literacy, such as close reading, analysis, discussion and writing to improve the reading outcome of our students. While we are unable to slow the pace of the ever-changing technology, we must explore all possibilities to raise the levels of literacy in our nation's schools.
waykam@yahoo.com
www.wayaine.blogspot.com
Reading is more than ABC
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Reading has been on the decline in the Jamaican society for quite a while. We live in a society, and indeed a world where cultural norms are changing almost daily. As technology develops, more and more of our students are acquiring the latest gadgets, leaving little or no time for recreational reading. Many of our students and adults alike have what is obviously an obsession with listening to music mainly of a specific genre. It has become a rarity to see a student or adult reading a novel.
The declining rate in literacy is more pronounced at the secondary level of the education system. This fall in reading level can be attributed to, among other factors, the absence of a standardised national literacy test at the secondary level of the education system. What is required is a shift by the nation's policymakers to encourage more reading. We need to examine the possibility of including a Grade Seven or a Grade Eight Literacy Test. This will provide the impetus to do more in improving the literacy of our students.
There is an urgent need for us to constantly access and monitor our students. Additionally, we need to develop policies that emerge from empirical data to improve the educational outcome of our students. In establishing a literacy test at the secondary level we would be able to track the progress, or lack thereof, of each student. The fact that each student already has a profile by the time he/she reaches the secondary level would make this process easier. This would make it quite easy to make a comparison of the student's score on their Grade Four Literacy Test. Appropriate remedial work could then be done to address the needs of specific students.
It is foolhardy to think that an increase in literacy specialists is tantamount to improving reading levels. We need an infusion of all subject teachers to do more reading in the content area. We also need to reduce the student/teacher ratio in our schools to manageable levels where teachers can be more effective in working with challenged students.
Yes, the times are challenging and the resources of the State are limited; however, there is an urgent need for educators to do more. We need to redouble our efforts to incorporate the use of authentic forms of literacy, such as close reading, analysis, discussion and writing to improve the reading outcome of our students. While we are unable to slow the pace of the ever-changing technology, we must explore all possibilities to raise the levels of literacy in our nation's schools.
waykam@yahoo.com
www.wayaine.blogspot.com
Reading is more than ABC
-->