Collaboration necessary to improve literacy in schools

THE EDITOR, Madam:

As an educator for over 35 years this is my wish that every child in Jamaican schools will be able to light their fire that will spark their success in their career choices. However, this can only be done if educators use collaboration approaches to improve literacy in our schools. These collaboration approaches would include teacher to teacher collaboration, student to student collaboration and family and community collaboration.

Moreover, teachers would work together to share expertise, align strategies and use innovations to improve teaching practices that would improve student literacy outcomes. If the Ministry of Education is serious about improving literacy they should have professional development meetings in which teachers can discuss student’s needs, analyse data and share lessons plans and interventions program to support literacy development. Teachers can also use mentoring and support to provide feedback and emotional support and team teaching to provide a holistic approach in which students experiences can be integrated in different subject areas. Additionally, teachers can use peer observation that will allow them to observe each other class to have different insights on the teaching of literacy.

In addition, student to student collaboration is important in the mission of improving literacy Students will be able to work in groups on literacy tasks to achieve goals specified using collaborative strategic reading and think-pair-share that will improve their comprehension skills. Further, these strategies will develop students understanding of complex texts and improve their interpretations. Additionally, students to student collaboration will provide the opportunity to develop student’s communications skills in questioning, listening to different point of views, boast motivation in interaction activities, and supporting diverse learners from unique cultures.

Literacy is not only the responsibility for schools but the family and community should be part of a systematic and sustainable process in improving literacy. Family and community organisations should be partner in which parents, and others to empower the journey of getting all students to become literate.

The students fire to learn to read will continue to spark when teachers, parents and communities join hands together in the fight in improving literacy.

ANDREA O’CONNOR

awrightoconnor@hotmai.

com