Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY ONE SCHOOL’S APPROACH

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY AIM: THE FOSTERING OF A READING CULTURE THE PROBLEM:ILLITERACY, DEPRIVATION, LACK OF INTEREST IN BOOKS AND READING, LACK OF ROLE MODELS,

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST Promoting Literacy The cycle of frustration reads slowly reads less doesn’t enjoy reading finds it difficult to read

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST Promoting Literacy ACTION: To promote a reading culture by providing accessible and ability- appropriate reading materials Making the library a pupil-friendly environment Provide one–to-one teacher- pupil interaction to improve reading

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST Promoting Literacy Cycle of growth enjoys reading reads quickly reads fluently reads more

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY BACKGROUND SURVEY [2003] INCLUDED QUESTIONS LIKE ; DO YOU BORROW BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY? HOW OFTEN DO YOU READ AN ENGLISH BOOK?

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY SURVEY RESULTS 2003 SHOWS % OF PUPILS WHO READ REGULARLY SAMPLE 2003: 624 STUDENTS FROM F1 TO F 5

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY ISSUES ARISING FROM SURVEY READING WAS DIFFICULT VERY FEW READING RESOURCES AVAILABLE BORROWING WAS NOT AN OPTION FOR FEAR OF LOSING THE BOOK AND BEING FINED

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY RELATED PROBLEMS READING ALOUD FOR ORAL EXAMINATIONS LACK OF CREATIVITY IN WRITING LIMITED VOCABULARY IN SPEAKING AND WRITING PARENTAL DISINTEREST IN READING AS A WORTHWHILE ACTIVITY

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY SO WHAT DID WE DO? IMPLEMENTED A READING PROGRAMME FOR FORMS 1 -3 TRIED TO ENLIST PARENTAL SUPPORT CREATED READING DISPLAYS ENCOURAGED CROSS CURRICULAR SUPPORT FOSTERED A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LIBRARIANS

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY RESOURCES INITIALLY LACKED SUFFICIENT RESOURCES HAD BOOK BASKETS FOR CLASSES TO SHARE ACTIVELY SOUGHT DONORS FOR BOOKS IN THE COMMUNITY NOW: SHELF OF BOOKS/MAGAZINES/COMICS PER CLASS APPROXIMATELY 5000 BOOKS – MOSTLY DONATED BY ENGLISH STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY PROBLEMS DAMAGE TO / DEFACING BOOKS LOSS OF BOOKS SPLIT SHIFTS STALE STOCK

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY SOLUTIONS CARE OF BOOKS – YEARLY STOCK TAKE AND REPAIR CLINIC TRUST SYSTEM – STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BOOKS UGAMA CLASSES WERE ENCOURAGED TO BORROW AND MAINTAIN THE CLASSROOM LIBRARIES SWAP BOOKS BETWEEN CLASSES ONCE A TERM

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY READING DURING REGISTRATION SYSTEM OF BOOK LOGS SUPERVISED BY FORM TEACHER 15 MINUTES EVERY MORNING TO BE RECORDED IN READING LOG ENGLISH LESSONS STARTING PERIOD 1 AND 5 [AFTER BREAK] BEGIN WITH EXTENDED READING

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY LIBRARY SESSIONS F1 -3 DEDICATED LIBRARY PERIOD ONCE A WEEK TEAM TEACHERS EVERY STUDENT READS SILENTLY STUDENTS READ ALOUD TO THE TEACHER THUS EVERY STUDENT IS HEARD READING BOOK DISPLAYS IN THE LIBRARY BOOK BOXES TO FACILITATE EASE OF CHOICE HIGH INTEREST AND LOW ABILITY RANGE OF BOOKS

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY READING AT HOME PARENTAL SUPPORT BY DEDICATING HOMEWORK TO READING 30 MIN PER DAY FOR F 1 45 MIN PER DAY FOR F 2/3 RECORDED AND CHECKED BY ENGLISH TEACHER FORM 4/5 ARE ENCOURAGED TO READ FOR 45 MINUTES A DAY

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY CELEBRATING ENGLISH AND READING DEDICATED WEEK [ IN 2007 A MONTH] TO READING AND LITERACY COMPETITIONS RUN FOR READING CHAMPIONS/ BEST DISPLAYS SCHEME OF WORK DESIGNED TO ENABLE TEACHERS TO DO LITERATURE BASED WORK IN THIS TIME HIGHLIGHT – ENGLISH ASSEMBLY WHERE STUDENTS PRESENT READINGS, POEMS AND DRAMA MEDIA – FILMS AND RADIO- USED TO PROMOTE AN INTEREST IN BOOKS

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY DID IT WORK? STUDENTS SURVEYED IN 2007

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY OTHER FINDINGS Only 9% of the students came from homes where the parents read regularly 32% of all students said that they had no quiet place in which to read at home 34% had no English/Malay books in the home

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY SUCCESSES 87% now enjoy reading 74% enjoyed reading both in English and Malay Library usage has increased Students now read on a regular basis

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY The way forward ABILITY GROUPS SRA- INTENSIVE READING PROGRAM OPTIONAL EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS [AUSTRLIAN ENGLISH EXAM]

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY ABILITY GROUPS The school is on of the few to stream pupils according to ability. Initially PMB/PSR results directed the settings. We envisage using reading ages in future.

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY SRA Initially used with selected groups in form 1 and 3 students Student’s reading ages will be tested at the beginning of the next academic year

Kay Wilson/ Yasmin Bhamjee BELTA/CfBT AUGUST PROMOTING LITERACY AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH EXAMINATION For advanced students to extend reading and comprehension skills