An effort is on to enhance the literacy skills of students at St. Giles??? Primary School through placing emphasis on the teaching of the 44 speech sounds of the English language – phonics.

British Educational Psychologist and author of the British Phonics Chart Programme THRASS, Allan Davies, has donated reading resources for the programme. The aim is to pilot the Teaching of Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skills [THRASS] programme in Barbados.

The school was selected on the recommendation of the Director of the Caribbean Dyslexia Association and Centre, Yvonne Spencer. Two teachers at the school, Kelly-Ann Butcher of the Infant Department and Marsha Hunte, a reading specialist and part-time tutor at the Caribbean Dyslexia Association and Centre, have both been trained and certified by the psychologist and will teach the programme.

At present, the programme is being piloted in the school with the main focus in the Infants Department.?????We are confident that with the implementation of this programme, the literacy skills of our students will be greatly enhanced. The THRASS programme teaches all 44 speech sounds of the English language through music, drama and multi-sensory activities,??? Ms. Hunte explained.

The programme will be launched on Wednesday, March 12, at 9:15 a.m. in the school hall. Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Senator Harry Husbands is expected to deliver the feature address, while Principal Claudette Moseley will deliver the opening remarks.

joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb

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