Castle Bruce Primary Enhances Reading Instruction Through Innovative Student and Parent Engagement

Castle Bruce Primary in the Commonwealth of Dominica received grant funding from the OECS/USAID Early Learners Programme (ELP) to implement an innovative and interactive programme for both students and parents that has delivered positive reading results. As part of the OECS/USAID ELP within the Education Development Management Unit (EDMU) of the OECS Commission, small grants were provided under the project to support school-based reading intervention projects.

A total of ninety-four (94) schools across the OECS have benefitted from school-based grants of which approximately sixty-three (63) were specifically to support reading improvement. A total of $593,341.75 Eastern Caribbean Dollars (XCD) has been disbursed by the ELP as well as the OECS Education Support Project (OESP) to support schools.

In 2017 the Castle Bruce Primary, with ELP grant funds, initiated a reading intervention inclusive of monthly engagements with parents, and the development of a reading and learning centre within the school.

The monthly parent engagements have enabled parents to experience similar reading activities as their children and have showcased fun learning activities that parents can mimic at home. The teachers have created most of the teaching and reading aids which were made from basic items in order to show parents how to recreate these items at no cost as they replicate reading activities at home.

This forum has enabled the teachers to highlight the importance of reading from as early as kindergarten and has helped build a connection between parents and teachers in support of the students’ learning and growth.

An added component to the teacher-parent connection is ‘one on one’ classroom meetings between teacher and parent where the child’s progress is discussed. The student’s performance: strengths and weaknesses are shared, and the instructional plan for the student is presented to the parent with key tips on how they can support their child’s progress. Through these initiatives over the last two years, the parents are appreciating the importance of building a strong reading foundation as well as their role in the learning process.

The second component of this innovative project is the development of the ELP Reading and Learning Room which the teachers agree is unconventional for a Caribbean school — with very brightly coloured décor, many developmental games, a writing area, a sand area for letter practice, a listening centre with computers and a library area with various culturally relevant and age-appropriate books. Castle Bruce has further created a cafeteria theme with a menu of letters, sight words, adjectives and verbs that are individually featured on the menu daily.

This project has been highly successful. The entire school has become involved specifically teachers: Brittany Etienne, Jeanetta Graham and the principal Jovin Joseph, along with the teachers responsible for Kindergarten to Grade 3.
Ms. Hannel Jackson: Teacher