Hindsbury Primary seeds love of reading

The Hindsbury Primary School is abuzz with excitement as it celebrates its annual Literacy Week, themed Cultivating Excellent Readers – Sowing Seeds of Literacy. 

The annual event, which culminates on Wednesday, features a variety of activities aimed at enhancing literacy and encouraging a love for reading among students.

Ena McCollin is the school’s Language Arts Coordinator. “We are not only emphasising reading but also fostering competency in various aspects of life,” she explained. “Our goal is to help students recognise and utilise their talents across different domains, whether it’s through visual arts, performing arts like dancing and singing, or academics.”

Highlighting Hindsbury Primary’s exceptional literacy level, McCollin noted that the school boasts a record of being placed with the top five schools in the common entrance exams for the last few years.

She attributed this successful track record to “the sacrifice of the teachers who place a lot of interest in the classrooms and how they deliver the curriculum”.

The language coordinator told Barbados TODAY that the institution incorporates several reading programmes within the classroom coupled with activities in other areas to assist students in improving their literacy skills.

“I find that once you have children involved in different activities, whether it be dancing, singing or sports, it tends to open up their mind and their understanding to a lot of other areas,” she said.

The teacher also underscored the importance of parental involvement in ensuring that children are up to speed.

“Help them with their homework, help them with reading a book. I find that a lot of parents now lean [more] towards the devices. Gone are the days where they sit and read with their children,” said McCollin, urging parents to lessen screen time and incorporate more physical reading.

One of the hallmarks of Literacy Week was Tuesday’s Speak-Off competition, where some 14 Class Three and Four students showcased their oratorical skills on various topics.

One student, Ziava Gordon, was eager to share her experience participating in the event, admitting that she was “nervous at first”.

“I just finished doing a speak-off for Literacy Week and I did well,” Gordon said. “My mother said that I did very well and I was very nervous at first but now that it is over, I feel very pleased with what I have done.”

The Class Three student shared an encouraging message to other participants: “Just know that it’s not about winning, it’s about having fun in what you do. If you don’t come first, second, or third, it’s okay because there are other events that you can join and you should be pleased with what you get.”

On her presentation entitled If I had One Superpower, What Would It Be, Gordon told Barbados TODAY that her choice would be the gift of healing.

“The reason I chose the power to be able to heal people is because my grandfather died in 2019, and I never got the chance to meet him. He died due to cancer, and there was a girl from my school, her name is Jasmine Clark. She passed away because she got hit, but if I had the power back then, I would have saved them, and today, they would be here to watch me perform and have fun.”

In addition to academic activities, Hindsbury Primary incorporated creative elements into Literacy Week, with each age group tasked with decorating boards or murals based on designated themes. The murals were then showcased on the school’s walls, fostering a sense of pride among students.