‘Literacy with confidence equals winners’

Strutting along the classroom’s make-believe runway, with shoulders held high and smiles beaming, the Kindergarten students of Maverley Primary and Infant School proudly showcased what sets them apart, successfully accomplishing the day’s goal.

‘Confidence’ was the guiding topic for another engaging session led by Danijah Taylor, affectionately known as Uncle Dan, as part of his ‘Read, Write, Now’ initiative– a nine-day programme that uses different topics to foster a love for reading and writing from an early age.

With Miss Jamaica World 2022 Shanique Singh, lending a hand, the students were whisked away into the realm of creative writing and critical thinking on Day 5 of the programme.

“I believe in myself. I can do anything I want to do in my life. Because I am smart, I am strong, I am intelligent, I am special and I am confident,” was the chant that Singh asked the students to repeat just moments before they walked the runway. As a volunteer, she is passionate about encouraging youths to believe in themselves.

In a typical session led by Uncle Dan, he starts by introducing the day’s topic and hands out worksheets. These worksheets feature a photo story on one side and a corresponding writing activity on the other. As the students eagerly await, their attention is captured by an audio or animated narration of the story, played twice, immersing them in the world of sound effects and character voices. With enthusiasm, Uncle Dan or the designated volunteer steps in to read the story aloud, infusing it with funny and lifelike sounds and movements. The children eagerly mimic these actions, having already been introduced to the cues during the initial narration. Finally, the children complete the writing activity, illustrating what they’ve learned and receiving a “good job” sticker for their efforts.

And, this session was no different. The students excitedly tuned into the narration of the animated Animal Runway by Danijah Danijah, where personified animals walk the runway of a fashion show. The ‘hosts’, Paul Panda (a panda bear) and Shelly Snake (a rattlesnake), call out some of the special talents of the three animals as they confidently walk the runway.

Speaking to GoodHeart, Taylor said, “This session is about boosting confidence as literacy with confidence equals winners. [When the students are confident] they’ll know that reading and writing is fun. It’s about them finding out what makes them special. [Many of] the children spoke up about being able to run, play football and do gymnastics. When they know what makes them special, they can do it confidently. So this session is to enhance that through literacy.”

Having begun the school tours in May 2022 at the National Baptist Basic School, with the help of his international sponsors HELP Jamaica and CHASE Fund, Taylor continues to advocate for the nurturing of literacy skills from a young age.

“When you look at the ecosystem of Jamaica’s education system, we’re behind in many aspects. I think the main reason is because the foundation is not very great. At this stage it is critical to fuse creative and critical writing skills to get the students to appreciate reading and writing especially since our [literacy] rate is so low. If they can appreciate it at this age, it will get easier as they go to a higher level. ”

With just a few more sessions to go at Maverley, Taylor announced that stop number 16 will be at Portsmouth Basic School in Portmore, wrapping up the visits for this term.

On a separate note, he is appealing to organisations and the public to lend additional support to early childhood education, more so to facilitate digitised learning materials.

“I remember during COVID we had a lot of people donating tablets [to facilitate virtual classes]. You see if you guys can change the energy and consider giving smart TVs [to put in the classrooms], it would help to enhance the classroom environment for these young ones.” He continued, “A lot of principals have been asking when I’ll come back and with the smart TVs I’d be able to connect digitally, if I’m not able to go physically, and that way I’d reach more schools.”

If you’d like to support the programme you may reach out to Uncle Dan at penpowerment.com or on Instagram via handle @writinggod.

rollesha.laing@gleanerjm.com