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Lela Smikle Making reading fun

By LEIGHTON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter

Lela Smikle - Contributed

IT IS A widely held view that the current crop of students in Jamaica's primary school system dislike reading.

While this may be true, veteran educator, Lela Smikle, is determined to bring about a return to the days when students looked forward to reading and was an essential part of their lives.

Smikle is the Acting Principal at Bridgeport Primary School and has 30 years experience in the classroom. A reading specialist, she has fond memories of days when students had fewer distractions and loved to read. "In the early days it was different from now. Children used to read because there were less distractions. So, learning was easier," she said.

However, she is the first to admit that those days are now in the past and a new generation with a different outlook has come to the fore. "It is really a challenge these days to get children to read," she said. "Because of the various distractions it is difficult to get them to read and as a result it is hindering learning."

While getting the children to read has been a challenge, Smikle said that as a reading specialist she, and her colleagues at Bridgeport Primary, have come up with methods to get children interested in reading again.

Special reading periods

The methods she and the staff have come up with are designating special periods when only reading is done and getting teachers to read to students as well as playing stories on tape for the students. "We even encourage our parents to listen to our students and talk to them and help them to listen so as to get them interested in that area," she added.

Smikle, who is an active member in her church, told THE STAR that her interest in helping children to read came about shortly after she started teaching. She said she found that some students had reading problems and dedicated her time to helping them. She remarked that the experience was so rewarding that when she decided to upgrade her qualifications, she decided to specialise in remedial reading. So far, the decision has paid off. "Sometimes you are on the road and you see students who you have helped to read in good jobs it makes you feel a sense of fulfillment. It has been challenging and disheartening at times, but just to see that my students have succeeded is encouragement enough for me to continue," she said.

Although not actively involved in the classroom for the past few months, she adds that she tries not to lose touch with that aspect of her job. As a result, she works with her teachers in identifying talent both among staff and students.

She admits that being a principal is still a learning experience. However, she is steadily gaining knowledge in that area. "The co-operation from my colleagues has been good so far and I have been able to see their strengths and weaknesses. I'm still learning as I go along as I am now seeing things from another side. However, if I could live my life over I would go back in the classroom," she said.