Literacy Fair In Region 4

Improving literacy and academic performance at the Primary level was the driving force behind Thursday’s (May 19) Region four Regional Literacy Fair 2022, held at the Flanker Primary School in St. James.

The annual event was held under the theme ‘Literacy: Bridging the Gap; Unlocking the Future’ and featured 25 schools across Region four that consists of the parishes of St. James, Hanover and Westmorland.

Among the institutions were Corinaldi Avenue Primary, Flanker Primary, Bethel Town All-Age, Success Primary, Negril All-Age, Dundee All-Age, Retrieve All-Age, Barneyside Primary, Catherine Hall Primary and Clifton Primary Schools.

Students from these institutions were given the opportunity to showcase their literacy prowess via several literacy-themed games and activities, including Spell-O-Fair, Reading, Comprehension, Time-O-Rhyme, Sketch-to-Stretch, Spelling, Maths race and more.

There was also a special session for grades four and five students who will be sitting the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exmainations.

In the end, Nest Academy in St. James was crowned winner of the event. Eber Preparatory in St. James and Clifton Primary School in Hanover came second and third, respectively.

Regional Literacy Coordinator at the Ministry of Education and Youth’s Region Four, Nicola Shakes-Wilson, told JIS News that it was a “wholesome and integrated” event that was tailored for students at every grade level, even the ones who struggled with literacy.

“It was an integrated fair. We had teachers involved as well as we had parents,” said Mrs. Shakes-Wilson.

She said the event has grown from strength to strength throughout the years since its inception in 2015.

“The regional literacy fair was initiated in 2015 by yours truly. At that time, I had 15 coaches working with me in the literacy unit in the region. They were on a USAID Programme where the duration was from 2013 to 2015,” she noted.

“So, because I wanted a bang when they were leaving, I decided that we are going to be having what we call a regional literacy fair, and that was the inception. Over time, we have grown tremendously, having started with about 10 schools,” she added.

Regional Director in the Ministry of Education and Youth’s Region Four, Dr. Michelle Pinnock, who attended the event, noted that aside from improving students’ literacy levels, the fair also showcases teachers’ ability to self-improve and deliver engaging lessons in the classrooms.

“For example, with comprehension, phonics or anything, the literacy coordinator and specialists would go out into the schools, and we give training to the teachers in terms of how they can enhance. The teachers will try improving and then we use the literacy fair to actually showcase those teachers that are doing well,” Dr. Pinnock outlined.

“So, we have those teachers show to others what they have done; we have the children also show their work and so what we are doing is really promoting best practices. The fair is a showcasing for both our students and teachers,” she added.

Principal of Adelphi Primary School in St. James, Marlon Campbell, indicated that he plans to implement several of the day’s literacy activities at his school. He said the innovative games are engaging to both students and teachers alike, as they not only promote literacy but also help in aspects of development.

A student at Ferris Primary School in Westmoreland, Tevoy Campbell, told JIS News that the day’s Maths race, in which he took part, helped him to further see the importance of reading.

He said he learned new things and it was all as a result of the literacy fair.

Sherice Riley of Savanna-la-Mar Primary School in Westmoreland said she now has a different understanding to reading.

“It (the fair) is very important, because when we get to participate in things like these, they allow us to be more aware of the different activities that are going around to allow us to have a better chance of understanding. So, certain things like the Maths race, they have a better chance of getting to understand Maths [and literacy], and to allow them to have fun,” she explained.