Cave Hill Campus launches Reading Programme

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Cave Hill Campus has launched a reading programme in collaboration with The Barbados National Library Service and the charity Kids in Action, as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations. 

The initiative, Between the Lines, seeks to engage children in weekly reading activities to improve their learning skills. Sessions are conducted by a Cave Hill instructor and members of the local teaching community, current and retired. Cave Hill undergraduate students have also volunteered to assist with the sessions. 

The programme was launched on Saturday 4th February with the first reading session hosted at the Bridgetown Public Library for primary school students who pre-registered for the session. 

According to Dr Zoanne Evans, Chair of the Subcommittee for the 60th Anniversary Reading Initiative, literacy skills in Barbados have been on the decline for some time but this is a vital competence that must be ingrained in our youth if we expect them to be critical thinkers in society.

“Fostering a love for reading among children is one of the hardest tasks in the age of technology, yet it is fundamental to their success,” said Dr. Evans, who is also an instructor in Academic Literacies.

The Cave Hill educator also shared her thoughts on the benefits of libraries to the wider society. “Libraries matter because they can help every member of the community gain new knowledge, skills, and dispositions for learning and personal development that they will use throughout their lives.”

Twenty children participated in the first session, where the facilitator engaged the students in reading, story writing, and comprehension activities. This session was led by Shalyn Firebrace, Head of the English Department at the Parkinson Memorial School.

The session was well-received as parents and participants expressed their anticipation for the upcoming weeks, which organisers promised will be “engaging and exciting.”

“These sessions are intended to hone the creative imagination of children to make the process of learning to read easier and more enjoyable. The objective is that young students can become more confident and empowered readers,” said Dr. Evans.

Dr. Henderson Carter, Chairman of The UWI Cave Hill’s 60th Anniversary Planning Committee, believes the project is not only an excellent opportunity for children attending the sessions to advance their reading skills but it also offers the wider society another avenue to bridge the literacy gap in Barbados. “It has been some time now that local education authorities have expressed concern about a decline in literacy rates in this country. Therefore, we can see how direct a role this project can play in addressing some of the reading deficiencies,” Carter said.

The programme will run from February to March 2023, targeting primary school students who meet every Saturday at the Bridgetown Public Library between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. During this period, the organisers of the programme will also conduct sessions at local primary schools to reach students in these institutions. 

On Monday 6th February, former educator Reverend Suzanne Ellis conducted a session at the St. Alban’s Primary School and Ms. Wendy Green, former Head of the English Department at The Alexandra School, conducted a session at Workman’s Primary School in St. George.

From April to May, the reading program will focus on secondary school children in an effort to assist with their reading skills. (PR)