LIFE donates books for young readers
(L-R) Erin Galatopoulos (LIFE), Lisa O’Donoghue (Transition Unit teacher) and Marilyn Conolly (LIFE)
(CNS Local Life): LIFE (Literacy Is For Everyone) has made its first book donation of the school year to the Transition Unit, a government programme that helps children who need extra learning support in their reception year. The non-profit organisation selected 170 books as a comprehensive collection to engage the interest of emerging readers age 5-6.
The collection includes books with sounds, non-fiction titles, read-aloud books that help the development of vocabulary, and early readers for children to read on their own.
Transition Unit classroom teacher Lisa O’Donoghue knows from experience the importance of finding books that appeal to her students, stated a LIFE press release. “Some children are reluctant to pick up a book,” she said. “These noisy books are fantastic for getting children interested in books and making reading fun for them.”
The Transition Unit was formed in 2011 to integrate children into mainstream primary schools who might otherwise have required special education. A designated speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, counsellor and educational psychologist work with the teaching team to provide both one-to-one and group sessions.
Based at George Town Primary School, the unit’s six students join in PE, music lessons and assemblies at the school. “This provides the children with an inclusive environment and prepares them for Year 1 in their respective primary schools next year,” said O’Donoghue.
The classroom library donation is the first in an ongoing partnership between LIFE and the Transition Unit. The benefits of classroom libraries and exposing young minds to books are well documented. Recent studies have confirmed what educators have known for years: the more contact children have with books, the better readers they become.
LIFE’s classroom library project aims to support literacy in public schools by improving the quality and quantity of books available to children. To date, LIFE has donated more than 5,000 books to primary schools across the Cayman Islands.
“Our goal is to donate an additional 10,000 books to primary schools this year,” said Marilyn Conolly, executive director of LIFE. “This is made possible by the generosity of our private and corporate sponsors and through the book drives organised by schools and volunteers.”
For more information about LIFE, call (938-6300) or email Marilyn Conolly
