Building a Culture for Reading in the Libraries of Africa

A workshop by

Marlene Asselin, PhD

and

Ray Doiron, PhD

6th Pan African Reading Conference

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

August, 2009

University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

Outline Workshop

Welcome – Introductions

Overview - Creating a culture for reading.

Principles & Practices

Challenges

Activity One – Your Examples

Activity Two – Synthesizing the Principles

Activity Three – Community/Individual Action Plans

Wrap-up

University of British Columbia

We begin any literacy program by …

Telling stories

and

Reading Aloud.

University of British Columbia

What do oral storytellingand reading aloud do for us in terms of developing literacy and creating a love for reading?

(jot down your ideas….)

• They model how reading works.• They help develop the framework for narratives.• They develop language and vocabulary.•They spark conversation.•They build understanding and comprehension.• They include us in shared cultural experience. • They build community.

University of British Columbia

Building a Culture for Reading (Literacy)

What do we know about cultures where reading flourishes?

What are the lessons we can take from these cultures?

University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

Practices

• Large-scale (community-wide)• Silent reading time• Book Buddies• Special themed activities (Pirate reading)• One Book/One School or One Town• Incentives – intrinsic & extrinsic (school challenges, class-to-class …)

• Individual • Reading logs• Incentives – intrinsic & extrinsic• Home-school reading (book bags…)•

University of British Columbia

Challenges

University of British Columbia

Community/Individual Plans of Actions

Challenge

What I/We can do …

University of British Columbia

Questions & Discussion