While several boys showed significant improvement in their reading, inconsistent attendance became an issue as Babb’s Reading Clinic, a five-week summer programme designed to help boys improve their reading skills, ended on Friday.
The clinic began with 125 students enrolled, but by the conclusion of the fifth week, the active enrollment declined to 89.
Founder Dr Astra Babb said she was encouraged by the results achieved by some of the students who completed the programme.
“Many boys have taken real strides in reading. Some are now equipped to handle higher-order comprehension questions, and a number of the boys are ready to step confidently into the classroom at their new schools.”
Students and supporters of the Babb’s Reading Clinic. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham / Barbados TODAY)
The Babb’s Reading Clinic incorporated several evidence-based methods: “With particular emphasis on the development of word decoding proficiency and reading comprehension, the programme employed a range of evidence-based instructional methodologies including phonics; which is the study of letter sounds and putting them together to form words, letter sound relationship, structure, structural analysis, which is attention to prefixes, suffixes, and words, and syllabication, which is a segmentation of words into constituent syllables.”
Yet,despite these learning tools and other activities, attendance fell as the clinic competed with several other camps, Dr Babb said.
“A number of parents who had registered their children subsequently did not follow through in bringing them to the sessions, and several later indicated that their sons had instead elected to attend football camp, cricket camp, or cadet camp. By this, the conclusion of the fifth week, the active role had declined to 89 students, a reduction attributable in part to families travelling abroad to visit relatives after the third week of the camp.”
She said the absenteeism was an occurrence every year, along with behavioural challenges among some of the boys and distractions with devices.
“We encountered boys who were disrespectful toward their teachers and quick to get into conflict with their classmates, and a good deal of our time went into disciplining and counselling. We also noted that some boys, often the very ones who most needed to focus on reading, spent much of their free time on their phones playing games.”
From speaking with the boys, many were unable to read even if they engaged in games on their phones, often imitating their peers during reading activities in class, said the literacy expert.
She warned that excessive screen time could affect children’s development beyond their reading ability.
“When children are constantly on their phones, parents, they miss out on interacting with other children and on building essential life skills such as self-control, self-efficacy, and creativity, exercising sound judgment and problem-solving.
“Excessive screen time can also expose children to inappropriate adult content. We saw the consequences in the classroom: boys who tuned out from the work taking place at the time and some who became agitated when asked to put away their phones. Used well, Technology is a wonderful tool, but unmanaged, it can take a real-life toll on a young mind.”
Dr Babb encouraged parents to set clear boundaries around screen time, particularly as children prepare to return to school, and “to keep the conversation with your child going at home”.
She also encouraged parents to continue reading with their boys at home, talk with them and set sensible limits on their screen time.
The reading clinic will resume on Saturday, September 19, for 12 weeks at the Barbados Community College.
The next phase will be open to both boys and girls and will run on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon.
(LG)
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