Loekie Morales. Berber van Beek photo.
PHILIPSBURG–Within weeks, the Beyond Kultura Events (BKE) Foundation will embark on a story-reading programme, thanks to the commitment and financial support from Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund Caribbean, Collaborative Funds Caribbean and the Dutch literacy funding agency Nederlandse Taal Unie.
BKE President Loekie Morales said she is very happy with the funding agencies’ support for this reading programme which, she said, they all consider a valuable educational programme for children in St. Maarten.
“The training to read properly for children and get them to love reading, is mainly for former teachers and students to become teachers, or adults who are versed in reading for children,” Morales said.
Several years ago, Beyond Kultura developed this reading programme to benefit children ages three to 13, to teach them to enjoy reading and listening to stories. Schools have received an invitation to subscribe to this reading programme.
The story-reading training will consist of at least 10 hours of workshops. Participants will be trained in the fundamentals of reading and listening skills during a weekend training, September 27-29. Besides important technical “tricks,” much attention will be paid to the pleasure that reading provides and the value of various areas of development and education of the child. Aidan Chambers’ reading circle will be used for explaining the reading process.
Participants will be introduced to the techniques of reading. Attention will also be given to the usage of voice, story outline, body language, the audience and the function of books.
After the training, course participants will have to read stories to children in eight reading sessions, for a maximum of 45 minutes, at community centres, after-school activities, elementary schools and children’s homes.
At the end of the programme, participants will obtain an “Introduction Reading” certificate. Some 10 to a maximum of 15 adults are able to participate in this programme.
The training starts at the end of September and from October 6 until December 7, course participants will be reading stories. They will be trained and evaluated by an assigned coach. The recruitment of story readers is open until September 20.
The training/workshops for story readers will be mainly in English, but the readings to children will be in English and in Dutch.
BKE is recruiting primary schools, University of St. Martin (USM), National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA), after-school activities and community centres to participate in this programme.
Persons ages 18 and older who are versed in reading and who want to participate in the training/workshop, can contact BKE for more details at tel. 527-1223. There is a reading test and a fee involved to select participants. One can subscribe at
beyondwriting@hotmail.com .
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/90511-beyond-kultura-embarking-on-new-reading-programme
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