By George Henry, Gleaner WriterSpaldings, Clarendon:
AS THE island's educators continue to seek new methods to assist students with reading difficulties, a new approach to reading instruction has been proposed.
The Northern Caribbean University (NCU) through its Teacher Education Department last Thursday introduced some 250 teachers to the Exemplary Centre for Reading Instruction (ECRI) method, at a one-day workshop in Mandeville.
Assistant Professor in charge of Literacy Studies at NCU, Auma T. Folkes told The Gleaner that the ECRI method could be the answer to the difficulties being experienced by both teachers and students.
ECRI, she said, has a 100 per cent success rate in schools in Panama and Mexico, and similar successes in areas of the United States where it is used.
Prof. Folkes said the new method is based on mastering learning. ECRI is divided into stages, and students have to master each stage in order to advance under the programme.
The participating students are also trained to recognise when they are ready to move on to successive stages.
In addition, the teacher has to be well trained to be able to master the materials prepared as well as manage the classroom. ECRI is also packaged with tests that the teacher needs to administer.
The workshop was conducted by Madelyn Ritchie from the ECRI School in Salt Lake City, United States.
Professor Folkes was quick to point out that the one-day workshop was not sufficient to properly equip educators. She said participants would need at least a one-week seminar in order to administer ECRI effectively.
She said the method has never been used anywhere else in the Caribbean.
NCU has plans to conduct more workshops aimed at getting more teachers familiar with the new approach. The next one is scheduled for July.
