As we told you earlier in the newscast , there is an ongoing 2 week climate change workshop at the George Price Center, well right in the next room at the center, 87 teachers took up the role of students as they learned about literacy. We stopped by this morning.
Nilda Muschamp, Director, Pathlight Teacher Training Program
"Our broad topic for today is called "Literacy for all." Actually as I mentioned I work with pathlight and are doing the workshop. Actually this is the last of the set of 4 that we went to 3 other districts to do the workshops. We were in Toledo, Stann Creek and in Belize districts and addressing literacy for all. We know that literacy is a problem that we have countrywide. I was sharing with people in the workshop that there are statistics that say that we have 92% of our citizens are literate, but is that a fact? I mean when we look and see what teachers are writing, what adults are saying and writing, is its 92% that is actually literate? What's the definition of literate? Is it only the ability to read the quoting words? Or is it to understand what I am reading?"
"So we are making the teachers aware you know what, literacy is more than the quoting words, understanding what is being said to you and what you read, what you say and so today our workshop is focusing on strategies that will address how you go about increasing the literacy rate in schools. When you do the connection between language arts and literacy you will know that there is this strong connection and so we address components such as phonological awareness. Children need to develop sounds, to discriminate the sounds that they hear around, not only of the 26 letters that we have in the alphabet, but of the environment. So we reach them about how you can teach strategies. To teach awareness, phonics, teach fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Those are the 5 areas we are addressing."
Teachers from 7 primary schools participated. This training is part of the ongoing Pathlife teacher training program.
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