Students Encouraged to Get Into The Habit of Reading

Minister without Portfolio, with oversight for the Education, Youth and Information Ministry, Hon. Karl Samuda, is encouraging students to get into the habit of reading in order to improve their academic achievement.

“If you are not able to read and comprehend and retain material, then you will not be able to succeed the way you ought to succeed. Reading is the start of everything,” he told JIS News.

Mr. Samuda was participating in ‘Read Across Jamaica Day’ activities at the St. Richard’s Primary School in St. Andrew on May 7.

He noted that the annual observance, which involves partnership between the Ministry and the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), is having a positive impact on increasing the comprehension ability of students, particularly at the primary level.

He encouraged prominent figures in society to participate in the initiative in order to promote the benefits of reading among students.

Reading teacher at St. Richard’s Primary School, Gayle Kerr, said the institution places strong emphasis on reading and hosts an intervention programme, which identifies and assists students that are reading below grade level.

“We promote reading because reading enables good comprehension…. Between grades two to four we do a structured, intervention programme. We have seen improvement,” she said.

Grade-six student and head girl, Carissa Thelwell, who told JIS News that she enjoys Nancy Drew novels, agreed that reading is important in helping children in their schoolwork.

“It helps to develop their minds and imagination especially in their writing. It helps to develop their vocabulary, it gives them a wider range of words to use in their work,” she noted.

Head Boy, Jay-Don Bailey, who enjoys reading adventure books, said that “reading is important for children, because it expands the mind and helps them to learn new things. Without that knowledge, later in life, you won’t be as successful”.

Read across Jamaica Day is part of activities to mark Education Week from May 5 to 11 under the theme ‘Empowering Educators: Retooling, Innovating, and Networking for Sustainable Development’.

Activities for Education Week include Teachers’ Day on May 8 and Helen Stills Professional Development Day on May 9.

The JTA Medal of Honour Award for Retired Teachers will be held on June 4.

Initiated by the JTA in 2005, Read Across Jamaica Day’ seeks to foster interest in reading by encouraging parents and other members of the society to read a book to a child.