From OECS/USAID Early Learners Program (ELP)

Monday, May 18, 2020 — The OECS/USAID Early Learners Programme (ELP) team has received over 20 videos from early grade students across the OECS Member States of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. While at home with parents and caregivers, children are constructively using their time to share positive messages, read stories and engage in learning and developmental activities to send to teachers and to be showcased online. These messages highlight the creative work that is taking place in homes across the OECS with support from parents, teachers, and Ministries of Education.

The OECS/USAID ELP is committed to soliciting these videos and sharing them throughout the OECS to show other families how to successfully engage with students. The videos include reading storybooks, tips for parents on assisting their children, messages for teachers, gardening, physical education activities and miscellaneous projects in and around the home.

OECS/USAID ELP Reading Specialist, Lisa Sargusingh-Terrance states that: 

“The early grade readers who are a part of the Early Learners Programme have had to experience a major shift away from a very familiar classroom setting where they interacted with teachers and their peers on a daily basis. This type of engagement maintains positive connections to teachers and others, and further enables students to showcase their work and reading activities while motivating others”.

The OECS/USAID ELP continues to encourage the creativity and engagement of the early grade students as children adjust to their new normal. To date 10 student videos have been featured through the various ELP WhatsApp groups, Facebook Groups, and other social media garnering 1,121 views thus far. These videos will continue to be shared via social media to showcase ideas, creativity and to encourage other students to learn from, emulate and build upon.

About OECS/USAID ELP: 

OECS/USAID Early Learners Programme is a Programme within the Education Development Management Unit of the OECS Commission and was established in March 2015 to improve the reading skills of children in the early primary grades with the goal of providing a foundation for improved learning outcomes and enhanced opportunities for students in the six (6) independent Member States of the OECS (Antigua and Barbuda, The Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines).

To date the ELP has achieved a number of tangible outputs with over 17,000 learners reached at the Primary level, over 1500 Grades K to 3 teachers supported through job embedded professional development, 1426 lessons observed and 1031 coaching sessions with teachers have been completed by ELP Coordinators. Further, 60 schools across the Member States have received development grants to support reading enhancement projects and 173,114 teaching and learning materials have been provided to 750 classrooms across the OECS. The OECS/USAID ELP will run through to September 2020 continuing to develop and implement impactful initiatives that advance early grade reading throughout the OECS.