EastSide Learning has delivered Better Reading Partnership training to over 80 parents, classroom assistants and teachers from across east Belfast.
The Better Reading Partnership is a 3-day taught course with 10 weeks practice, where adults can become a “Reading Partner” enabling them to support children to improve their reading at school, at home and in the community.
EastSide Learning recently acquired OCN Centre status and those completing the training can be awarded a Level 3 OCN endorsed qualification.
The course is based around the understanding that building a child’s confidence is the key to improving their reading. The Reading Partners learn to identify good reading behaviours and develop techniques to both praise and gently prompt the child when necessary. The Reading Partners practice methods on how to assess children’s reading levels and choose appropriate books that the child feels comfortable reading.
This literacy intervention requires only 15 minutes of support 3 times a week per child. In such a short space of time, many of the children that our Reading Partners have worked with have shown great improvements in their reading ages.
From the 80+ adults we have trained, they have been able to support children in numerous schools throughout east Belfast. These include…
Knocknagoney Primary, Victoria Park Primary, Greenwood Primary, Braniel Primary, Dundela Infants, Elmgrove Primary, Euston St Primary, Brooklands Primary, St Matthew's Primary, Cregagh Primary, Nettlefield Primary, Strandtown Primary, Ashfield Boys' High School and Ashfield Girls’ High School.
As well as training adults for in school intervention we are now also supporting Reading Partners to provide literacy intervention in Homework Clubs throughout east Belfast.
Here are some comments below from those who have completed training.
“I really enjoyed the course as it was interactive and the trainer was clearly passionate about promoting reading and literacy to children. We have implemented the programme in our school with pupils with low reading levels and it has been engaging and enjoyable. It has been great to be able to introduce the pupils to a variety of texts and get them reading on a regular basis”
"As a parent I have found that it has changed the way I read with my daughter. I feel more relaxed beacuse I focus less on mistakes and more on praising the areas where she is doing well. I hope that it will help her to not just improve her reading but to enjoy it too."
