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Literacy Programmes at Ninu Cremona
Junior Lyceum and Secondary School
Victoria Gozo
1.0
Introduction
Thanks
to the full support of the previous head, Mr. P.
Bezzina, the boys’ school of Ninu Cremona Junior Lyceum
and Secondary School was included in the Literacy
programme ‘Book Flood’ during the Second Term of
Scholastic Year 2005 – 2006. The programme is
co-ordinated by Dr. Charles Mifsud (Literacy Unit Malta)
in collaboration with the Education Division and the
full support of the Director of Curriculum Mr. Raymond
Camilleri. The literacy teacher who co-ordinates the
programme at Ninu Cremona is Ms. Irene Vella.
1.1
Scholastic Year 2005-2006
During
scholastic year 2005 – 2006 the programme started with
three different classes. To start off this project, the
collaboration between the English teachers teaching
these classes and the Literacy support teacher was
fundamental. It was decided that the project of Ninu
Cremona should be called:
boysread@ninucremona
This project’s main aim is to create
a reading culture and to encourage the boys to read
English books. This includes providing our boys with the
best reading material and the best reading environment
possible. A reading environment is one where there is
an expectation of pleasure in reading and where there is
excitement in talking about books. The project
strives to create an environment which is an
assessment-free zone and not somewhere one’s lack of
ability in reading is made more apparent by being told
to select books only from shelves labelled ‘Books for
less able readers’. Creating a love of reading in
students is potentially one of the most powerful ways of
improving academic standards in the school.
The
three classes that were the first to be included in the
project during scholastic year 2005 – 2006 were:
-
Form 1 Green
– Ms. Maria Buttigieg (English Teacher)
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Form 1 Yellow
– Ms. Stephanie Xerri (English Teacher)
-
Form 2 Yellow
– Ms. Maureen Sultana (English Teacher)
 Together
with the Literacy Support Teacher, each English Teacher
chose a number of different books for their students.
These books were chosen depending on the reading level
of the students and also on the interests of the
students. Each teacher has approximately 45 books to
use with the students of the class involved in the
project. Each teacher has a reading box where she keeps
all the books. This has become like a mobile library.
The teacher then takes this reading box to class and
students choose the books to read. These books are taken
home by the students. Each teacher has her own way to
monitor if the students are reading or not. In each
book there is also a reading card where each student,
after reading the book, signs his name and marks how
much he enjoyed reading the book.
1.2
Scholastic Year 2006-2007
The
project has continued during this scholastic year with
the full support and co-operation of the new head of
school Dr. Abela. The reading boxes of last year are now
being used with these classes:
-
Form 1 Green
– Ms. Maria Buttigieg (English Teacher)
-
Form 1 Indigo
– Ms. Stephanie Xerri (English Teacher)
-
Form 2 Yellow – Ms.
Maureen Sultana (English Teacher)
During
this scholastic year these same books will also be used
with:
-
Form 1 Blue
– Ms. Stephanie Xerri (English Teacher)
-
Form 2 Violet – Ms
Maureen Sultana (English Teacher)
Thanks
to more funds from the Literacy programme, during this
scholastic year 2006 – 2007, it was possible to include
another teacher in this project: Ms. Isabelle Vella.
Ms. Vella is currently using the reading box with
Form 1 Indigo. However, Ms. Isabelle Vella will
eventually be using the reading box with:
Form
3 Blue
Form 3 Violet
Form 3 Yellow
Every
class will have approximately 6 weeks to read the books
of this project. Then, at the end of the 6 weeks Ms.
Isabelle Vella will ask each student to do a 5 minute
presentation on one or more books that he would have
read. Ms. Isabelle Vella has also deemed it necessary
to inform the parents about this reading project.
1.3
Additional Support
Thanks
to the Literacy Support teacher, Ms. Stephanie Xerri has
also been assigned additional support for English
conversation lessons. Mr. David Gahan is an
ex-teacher. He is British but is currently living in
Gozo. Mr. Gahan supports Ms. Xerri during a speaking
and listening activity with one of the Form 1 classes on
a weekly basis.
1.4
Conclusion
All
these initiatives are being done because the school of
Ninu Cremona believes that Reading is Fundamental.
Thus, we are doing our outmost to provide optimal
conditions that motivate the boys to read. No matter
which way you look at it, a reading community is a
learning and thinking community. There can be few
better ways to improve students’ chances at school, or
beyond in the wider world, than to enable them to become
truly independent readers.
Reading means
Achieving
Ms.
Irene Vella
Literacy Support Teacher |
