Read to Learn, Learn to Read @ Your Library

LEARN TO READ-READ TO LEARN @YOUR LIBRARY: DEVELOPING CREATIVE AND

LITERATE LEARNERSLITERATE LEARNERS

Paulette Stewart, PhD

Evadne McLean

Diversity Challenge Resilience: School Libraries in Action - The 12th Biennial School Library Association of Queensland, the 39th International Association of School

Librarianship Annual Conference, incorporating the 14th International Forum on Research in School Librarianship,

Brisbane, QLD Australia, 27 September – 1 October 2010.

LEARN TO READ-READ TO LEARN @YOUR LIBRARY:

DEVELOPING CREATIVE AND LITERATE

LEARNERS

Definition of literacy

“Literacy is the ability to understand and

employ printed information in daily activities,employ printed information in daily activities,

at home, at work and in the community- to

achieve one’s goals and to develop one’s

knowledge and potential” [The International

Adult Literacy Survey]

SLAQ / IASL 2010 Conference



LEARNERS

Connection between literacy and libraries

- creating literate environments- creating literate environments

- play a key role in and promoting

literacy


LEARN TO READ-READ TO LEARN @YOUR LIBRARY: DEVELOPING CREATIVE AND LITERATE

LEARNERS

literary competencies + creative potential

� ability to generate ideas

� to question, and to make connections

� be willing to take risks

� to experiment

� to express his own creative ideas using a range of artistic elements



LEARNERS

The role of libraries in literacy education and

creative learning

� School libraries

�The Public Library

�Online Libraries




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creative learning

School libraries

�Connect books with readers

�Instruct students to identify and locate relevant

information for research

�Provide students with strategies for learning from

sources




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creative learning

The Public Library

�Actively support literacy campaign

�Support other institution on combating illiteracy




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creative learning

Online Libraries

E.g. International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL)

�Provide free access to high-quality digital books



DEVELOPING CREATIVE AND LITERATE LEARNERS

Rationale for the Learn to Read-Read to Learn @Your

Library project in Jamaica

low level of literacy� low level of literacy

� intervention programmes by the Ministry

of Education to develop literate and

creative learners.




Eyre’s suggestion

“Keep a weather eye open for opportunity to support

basic literacy”.

Jamaica Library Service Network (JLS) and the

Library and Information Association of Jamaica

(LIAJA) partnered to play a meaningful role in the

building literate communities.




Target audience

Children and young adults

Programme objectives:


•To develop creative and literate learners through reading,

writing, books, and art;

•To encourage students to use the resources of the public,

school and other information units as well as virtual libraries

to improve literacy skills so that they will be able to cope with

literacy demands of everyday living.



The programme was launched with much fanfare on

March 19, 2010



Key persons from the Ministry of Education and the

Jamaica Teachers’ Association, The Jamaica ReadingJamaica Teachers’ Association, The Jamaica Reading

Association, principals, teachers and students from

primary and high schools attended and indicated their

support for the programme.




LEARN TO READ-READ TO LEARN @YOUR LIBRARY: DEVELOPING CREATIVE AND LITERATE LEARNERS



Audience at the launch



Poster Competition

The first activity held was a Poster Competition whichwas launched to sensitize the entire nation about the“Learn to Read-Read to Learn” @ Your Libraryactivities.

\LEARN TO READ-READ TO LEARN @YOUR LIBRARY:


Poster Advertising the Launch The criteria for the Poster Competition




The Three Little Pigs” will Blow You Away

Introductory Paragraph: Must include the title

and author, and thesis (topic).

Plot Summary: In a few paragraphs write a plot summary. This is basically a narrative of a plot line; including exposition, hook, conflict raising action and resolution.

� This book “The Three Little Pigs” by John Q. Piggin is the best since “Mary had a Little Lamb.” It is about hate, laziness, and death.

� The story begins with Mommy pig telling her piglets to go out and seek their fortune and to always do their best. The first little pig quickly builds a house of straw. Soon after, the second little pig finishes a house of sticks. Three month later, the third little pig finishes a fine home made out of bricks.

� The plot thickens when a big bad and hungry wolf sees the house of straw. In short order the wolf has blown it down and eaten the first little pig. A repeat performance of blowing and eating happens to

and resolution.

Summary needs to be detailed enough to

support your opinion of the book and you

conclusion.

performance of blowing and eating happens to the second little pig as well. The big question of this book is, “Will the wolf eat all the pigs?” I couldn’t put this book down after I had read the part about the house of straw. It intrigued me that anyone would be dumb enough to build such a flimsy house.

� In the last chapter of this 415 page novel, the wolf huffs and puffs but can’t blow the house down. Then the wolf gets a bright idea to climb down the chimney and invade the brick house of the last pig. The third pig anticipates the wolf and has a big pot of boiling water in the fire place. Down goes the wolf and into the pot. No more wolf. What a dramatic climax with the wolf cooked alive and made into dinner for the third pig. I enjoyed the irony of the climax.

While the plot is rather simple and redundant, I enjoyed the morals that hard work pays. I recommend the “Three Little Pigs” to you as a good story



Writing book reviews was seen as a necessary Writing book reviews was seen as a necessary

part of the programme because readers need

to read critically and become critical thinkers.

This will also build participants comprehension

skills.



This process is important because “Reading is This process is important because “Reading is

primary. One can write only as well as one

reads. To write better, you must learn to read

better” [Kurland]



The Year’s Highlights

Reading Week (Public Library focus)

April 18 – 24, 2010

EXAMPLES OF READING WEEK ACTIVITIES

Date Public Libraries Readers Activities

April 20,

2010

Harbour View Peter Espeut, Mystic Davis

(Catholic Priest)

Telling stories

April 22,

2010

Kingston and St.

Andrew Parish

Library

Peter Lloyd

(Singer)

Telling stories

and engaging

students in Library students in

reading activities

April 24,

2010

Stony Hill Branch

Library

Safia Burton

(Business woman0

Telling stories

and engaging

students in

reading activities

April 22,

2010

Shortwood branch

Library

Mrs. Patricia Cuff

(Librarian)

Mr. Roy Black

(Radio Personality )

Reading and

telling stories

Dramatizing

storiesApril 24, 2010 Kingston and St.

Andrew Parish

Library

Dr. Joseph Anedu

(Physican)

Storytelling



Librarians engaging students in reading activities



Librarian and radio personality engaging students in reading activities



Education Week - (School Libraries focus)

May 2 – 7, 2010

� Librarians visited schools, promoted information

literacy and encouraged students to use the

school library to develop their literacy skills.

� Target group was school children of all ages.





June 18, 2010 Announcement of winners

of the Learn to Read – Read to Learn @ your of the Learn to Read – Read to Learn @ your

library Poster Competition

� The announcement of the winner of the Poster

Competition and other winners at LIAJA’s first

General Meeting for 2010.





LEARNERS




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Library Week- Oct. 31 – Nov. 6, 2010

Reading Symposium- November 3, 2010

Participants selected to enter the reading symposium

� Primary

� High

� Hearing impaired

� Physically challenged

� National Parent Teachers Association



LEARNERS

� A Time for Evron - Primary Schools

� The Secret Garden - High schools

� The Secret Garden - National Parent Teachers

Association



LEARNERS

� The Learn- to Read-Read- to- Learn @Your library initiative is therefore timely.therefore timely.

� At the end of the programme, participants should have acquired new literacy skills and improved existing ones so that they will improve the quality of their lives and be better able to participate successfully in national development programmes

LEARN TO READ-READ TO LEARN @YOUR LIBRARY: DEVELOPING CREATIVE AND

LITERATE LEARNERSLITERATE LEARNERS

Paulette Stewart, PhD

Evadne McLean
