St. Patrick's NS, Slane

Reading Initiative

At a time when so much coverage and discussion about national literacy levels in children has been in the media, we have already been making an effort to try and improve upon the levels in our school. Spearheaded by Mrs. Ruane, a number of reading activities and events have been ongoing.

In the 1st term, Mrs. Ruane and Ms. O'Neill held a meeting with parents about reading at home. It was well attended and the parents were quite receptive to the information provided on the night.

We held another successful Readathon and each of the classes paid visits to Slane library where there were some storytellings. Reader's Theatre has been happening in classes too.

The teachers also display guidelines in each of the classrooms to promote good reading among the children. The children are also invited to comment on their own reading, as well as each others, using 'traffic lights'.

We have had book cover competitions where the children design a cover for a new book or their favourite story. Another competition was to compose a reading slogan. The children also kept reading logs of all the books that they read and wrote book reviews afterward.

The most up to date programme has been 'Reading Buddies'. 3rd to 6th class children were partnered with Junior Infants to 2nd. The teachers worked together to choose the partners before the initiative. The senior children were taught the procedures for the buddy system. Each Monday & Thursday for a period of 15mins, the buddies go to their partners. Each time, the children start reading together and then when the junior child feels able, they make a signal and continue alone. The senior buddy asks questions about the reading and they ask for a comment on the reading which they record each time.

Time will tell, but comments from the children, parents and the teachers suggest that reading is improving.

---Updated May 2011---