Lagos seeks to promote reading culture among primary school pupils
… Introduces Read Aloud Lagos initiative
In a bid to improve learning outcomes in schools and also inculcate reading culture among school pupils, the Lagos State Office of Quality Assurance has launched an initiative tagged Read-Aloud, Lagos! to create and stimulate interests of school children in reading books.
The Director-General Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni disclosed this at a media briefing in Alausa, Ikeja on Friday.
She explained that the Read-Aloud, Lagos was an initiative of the Office designed to encourage all children within the primary school age bracket in the State to enjoy reading, increase knowledge, and improve their comprehension. It will also encourage literacy learning, enhance child’s brain to associate with books and print with pleasure as well as extend reading attention span
Seriki-Ayeni said, “as an education Quality Assurance person, I was moved by the conviction that children perform better when they are led in the act of reading by someone else. Therefore, Reading-Aloud is single-handedly the most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading”.
According to her, the programme was initiated to bridge the identified reading gap among school pupils, revealing that the information available to the office shows that there have not been enough time allotted to reading during school hours and outside school.
Speaking on the objective of the programme, the Director-General stated that “Children should have models on how to pronounce words and enjoy stories and think critically, hence this initiative, to help our leaders of tomorrow.”
Mrs. Seriki-Ayeni stated that the read aloud project would feature a Special edition on the Children’s Day celebration where different dignitaries including Mr. Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo would virtually read to children online, through social media platforms, Radio and TV and the website of the office. While celebrating the children on the special day through the launch of the Read-Aloud, Lagos, the Office of Education Quality Assurance will be advocating for students/pupils safety and also educating for the awareness and importance of a healthy childhood.
While practically demonstrating the pattern the “reading to students” would take, she disclosed that plans have been concluded to begin the programme officially by June 1st, 2020 after a special edition that would be held on Children’s Day, stressing that the “Read-Aloud, Lagos” will be a continuous virtual engagement of targeted children and this initiative would be made accessible in different languages and through various channels of communication. Continuous virtual engagement of targeted children.
“It is also apt if we’re beginning to adopt new strategies of preparing for the new world of learning since the covid-19 pandemic had put classroom teaching to a stop. The implication of this new development is that learning in schools will never be the same again,” the Director-General reiterated.
