I can only blog late at night, when silence reigns after the last teenager has been banished from the living area and sent to bed, always a bit after 10 pm. On Monday Samilin, the Las Palmas director, arranged from me to present reading workshops the following two days. I met separately with the primary (grades 1-6) and secondary teachers (grades 7-12) each day. I also gave one long presentation on Tuesday for the house parents. So rather than updating this blog, those late nights have found me working on my presentations for the workshops.
Samilin has been working with the school to improve students' reading scores. A recent survey of 81 countries ranks the Dominican Republic at #74 in reading, so literacy deficiencies are a national concern. Several staff members told me of children coming to the school in the middle grades who are not able to read at all. This is truly a critical situation. I am a Spanish teacher and not a reading expert, but I was able to share some ideas that staff are eager to try out. Two key activities that build both literacy and a love for reading are teachers reading aloud to students and students reading silently by themselves each day. Parents and teachers are enthusiastic about scheduling time for this, but lack home and classroom libraries. Besides the books we brought with us, we have designated part of the funds students raised--at least $1600--to purchase books to help meet this need.
My Spanish 2 and 3 students wrote personal stories of childhood memories which they turned into illustrated books for the children here. Chelsea, Amanda, Sophia and Gracen, who are from those classes, went house to house with me and the Samilin Tuesday evening to distribute the books to the younger children. Yesterday when I was leaving the library after my last presentation, several children excitedly told me that they had read their books, adding "I want another book!" It was so gratifying to the four girls to see how eagerly the books were received. I took a picture of each child with his or her book, which I will give to the student authors when I return to class. It is exciting that something we have done in class can be a blessing to the children here.
While the school does have a library and an excellent librarian, the system for checking out books fell apart after a previous librarian left. Samilin told me today that our literacy emphasis has encouraged her to get the lending library going again. Our plan is for each house and classroom to regularly check out a box of books, so students will have many options to choose from for their free reading time in class and for reading at home.
The boys in the teen boy home pointedly told me that they do not like to read. I told them that they just haven't met the right book. We brought a big suitcase full of books and literacy games with us, but there were few books for the older teens. Now I am on a hunt for books that will captivate them, but also match the high moral standards of Las Palmas. Leave your suggestions in the comments if you have recommendations! Today I went with Samilin to three bookstores in Santo Domingo and spent $600 on about 75 books. Combined with books I bought yesterday and the suitcase full of books we brought with us, we have donated over 380 books!. I am going to order another couple dozen books online to be delivered here and will also leave some funds for Las Palmas to purchase books as they discover which titles especially resonate.
We also practice what we preach! My students all brought books that they read during their evening free time and we are reading aloud the fascinating story of ICC's history told in the book "A Leap of Faith," by Alcyon Fleck.
Samilin has been working with the school to improve students' reading scores. A recent survey of 81 countries ranks the Dominican Republic at #74 in reading, so literacy deficiencies are a national concern. Several staff members told me of children coming to the school in the middle grades who are not able to read at all. This is truly a critical situation. I am a Spanish teacher and not a reading expert, but I was able to share some ideas that staff are eager to try out. Two key activities that build both literacy and a love for reading are teachers reading aloud to students and students reading silently by themselves each day. Parents and teachers are enthusiastic about scheduling time for this, but lack home and classroom libraries. Besides the books we brought with us, we have designated part of the funds students raised--at least $1600--to purchase books to help meet this need.
My Spanish 2 and 3 students wrote personal stories of childhood memories which they turned into illustrated books for the children here. Chelsea, Amanda, Sophia and Gracen, who are from those classes, went house to house with me and the Samilin Tuesday evening to distribute the books to the younger children. Yesterday when I was leaving the library after my last presentation, several children excitedly told me that they had read their books, adding "I want another book!" It was so gratifying to the four girls to see how eagerly the books were received. I took a picture of each child with his or her book, which I will give to the student authors when I return to class. It is exciting that something we have done in class can be a blessing to the children here.
While the school does have a library and an excellent librarian, the system for checking out books fell apart after a previous librarian left. Samilin told me today that our literacy emphasis has encouraged her to get the lending library going again. Our plan is for each house and classroom to regularly check out a box of books, so students will have many options to choose from for their free reading time in class and for reading at home.
The boys in the teen boy home pointedly told me that they do not like to read. I told them that they just haven't met the right book. We brought a big suitcase full of books and literacy games with us, but there were few books for the older teens. Now I am on a hunt for books that will captivate them, but also match the high moral standards of Las Palmas. Leave your suggestions in the comments if you have recommendations! Today I went with Samilin to three bookstores in Santo Domingo and spent $600 on about 75 books. Combined with books I bought yesterday and the suitcase full of books we brought with us, we have donated over 380 books!. I am going to order another couple dozen books online to be delivered here and will also leave some funds for Las Palmas to purchase books as they discover which titles especially resonate.
We also practice what we preach! My students all brought books that they read during their evening free time and we are reading aloud the fascinating story of ICC's history told in the book "A Leap of Faith," by Alcyon Fleck.