I VOTE TO READ: RAW participates in the Lagos Books and Arts Festival

The annual Lagos Books and Arts Festival took place in November this year hosting a range of exciting events for families. RAW was very pleased to take part in this year’s programme and run a workshop for pubic and private schoolteachers in Lagos.

Storytelling and drama exercise

The workshop focussed on introducing creative activities into teaching to enhance classroom learning and help their students development a depth in their understanding. Thirty teachers gathered at Freedom Park, Lagos to take part.

First, the workshop touched on useful ice-breaker games to get students focussed and energised. Games are an important element in teaching. They can include core elements like speaking, listening, building confidence, developing and justifying arguments and they help your students to relax, re-energise and enjoy what they are learning. Playing games such as ‘If I Rule the World…’ and ‘Word Association’ are great ways to encourage students to be creative and use their imagination. 

Here is how to play ‘If I Rule the World’….

If I Ruled the World… Ask each member of the group to finish the sentence “If I ruled the world, I would…” choosing the one thing they would do if they had unlimited power for a day. e.g. “If I ruled the world I would…send every child in the world to school” You can also ask students how they would do this, and why they would do it. e.g. How? By building more schools and training more teachers. Why? Because all children deserve to have the opportunities that education gives.

Average time: 10-15 minutes Use with: all age groups. Primary + Learning Objectives: -        Opportunity for the students to relax and speak in front of each other. -        Come up with a simple yet original speech. Start constructing sentences. -        Explaining how and why they would achieve their wish makes their students think about justifying their statements.

The workshop also looked at speaking and listening exercises using an alley debate as an example. There are many benefits of using exercise like debating in the classroom.

• Enriches your teaching.
• Builds confidence and thinking skills.
• Social advocacy – teaching the communication skill necessary to campaign, communicate.
• Activities are suitable for a mixed ability class.
• A tool for exploring topics across the curriculum – debate topics can be formed around any subject to further understanding.
• Improves speaking and listening skills.

Here is how to do an alley debate:

1. Ask one student to be the judge in the debate, and divide the rest of the students in two groups. The groups will try to help the judge decide on a dilemma.
2.  The first group will act as the good conscience (or simply yes) and the other group as the bad conscience (or simply no).
3. Line up the groups in two lines facing each other, and ask the judge to stand between them.
4. Taking turns between the two sides, every member of the group makes a short statement to persuade the judge to join their side.
5. The judge moves closer to the line who are being most persuasive and at the end, the team who the speaker has moved closest to, wins.

The workshop ended with what was probably the most entertaining storytelling RAW has seen from any teacher workshop! Storytelling and creative writing asks students to be spontaneous, to think on their feet; not only a valuable life-skill but vital when it comes to exams. Creative writing exercises allows students to improve their reading and writing skills, develop a wider vocabulary and to think creatively when problem-solving. RAW asked the group to practice some hot-seating exercises. This exercise is particularly useful when getting students to think about a story or a character in more detail. It can be used from primary right up to secondary level!

Here is how to hot-seat:

Hot-seating Use this activity once children are familiar with a story. It can be played as a group or in pairs. -        Ask the group to divide into pairs and sit in two chairs facing each other. -        Ask the group what they know and think about the character in the story you are planning to focus on, e.g. Cinderella. -        Explain in a moment they will get to meet the character. Ask for the group’s ideas and help them prepare questions they would like to ask. -        Explain that as soon as you sit in the ‘hot seat’, you will become Cinderella and have to stay as Cinderella until you stand up again. -        Sit on the hot seat as an example acting as Cinderella of course! Then ask for a volunteer.

Average time: 20-30 minutes Use with: all ages Learning Objectives: -        Requires students to think about relevant questions to some playing the role of a character. -        Think more in-depth about a character and a story e.g. by considering moral issues. Tips: -        You play a central role, which clearly models for students the dramatic convention of taking on a different identity and role. There is no need for you to change you accent or voice; more important is to convey the attitude, opinions and personality of the character you are playing.

The workshop was great fun to facilitate and gave the teachers some creative ways to make learning fun and worthwhile for their students. Although all the activities in the workshop were a lot of fun to do, they are extremely worthwhile. They can stimulate creative thinking needed for reading and writing in ALL subjects, they can develop language and problem-solving skills, they can be used to introduce or revisit a topic and consolidates learning.

For more information, or for a copy of the worksheet from this workshop with details on all the activities covered and more, contact rawnigeria@gmail.com

Teachers at the workshop 

RAW partners with Inspired Thots for 'Out of the Box Parenting' Event

InspiredThots aims to bring out the genius in everyone. In October, they are hosting a workshop aimed at developing parenting skills to meet up with the challenged of raising excellent children in the 21st Century. This is a great opportunity for parents in Abuja to meet and discuss different issues impacting their children and perhaps how those issues can be addressed. 


RAW will be speaking at the event, in an interactive session, on the importance of encouraging your children to read at home. Parents will be given tips and ideas on how to introduce reading into their home and encourage their children to foster a love of reading. Parents will be given the opportunity to discuss and share their ideas on reading in the home. 


InspiredThots is a social entrepreneur organisation committed to adolescents' development in Nigeria. The organisation is concerned about holistic child development and activating leadership prowess in young minds. InspiredThots is responsible for the successful Polishing Diamonds programme inspiring young people. 


Event information
Venue: Silverbird Entertainment Centre
Time: 9am-3pm
Date: 3rd October 2011
Cost: N5,000 including a training manual, tea break, lunch. 


For more information and to reserve your place, contact Uche on 08033169652 / Raymond 07034897661

Illiterate Nigerians Risk Being Left Behind: Part One

Nigeria’s economy is over-reliant on oil revenues and skilled foreign workers. Huge wealth is divided among a tiny proportion of Africa’s second largest economy while poorly educated masses live in abject poverty. Illiteracy is shackling the potential of millions of hard-working and capable Nigerians as they struggle for social and economic survival.

As the world enters the computer age and employers seek literate employees, reading has become a critical life skill. Booker Prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro, recently said: “Poor literacy undermines everything: self-worth, social cohesion, great natural talent.” The 100-Book Challenge was launched last month encouraging young people to read for pleasure; in the hope to improve literacy. In an attempt to tackle illiteracy in Nigeria, initiatives are revealing issues preventing a reading culture from being nurtured. In a modern world entirely dependent on literacy skills, what are the issues and what can be done to limit their damage?

Nigeria

Increasing the access to the written word is a crucial factor in tackling illiteracy especially in Nigeria where the majority of its 150 million people don’t have access to books. The 100-Book Challenge, “began as a result of visiting schools and talking to children and listening to their yearning,” said Coordinator, Dr Fatima Akilu, “Nigerian children want to read but there are no books that are easily accessible to them.”

The lack of access to books is only part of the problem. Parents, who are in a position to provide books and read to their children, simply don’t. In a society where nannies and drivers often act as primary carers, parents have taken a back seat. “Parental involvement in encouraging reading is key. Children whose families read for pleasure are more likely to take it for granted that reading is a worthwhile activity,” says National Literacy Trust, UK. Excuses such as ‘time constraints’ often mask laziness and a lack of effort. Fostering the love of reading early in development regardless of ethnic background, family income or level of parental education can dramatically impact a child’s development. Families need to realise their contribution is vital, both in terms of providing reading material, and reading with children after school.

For developing countries like Nigeria, female literacy is seen as key to raising living standards for the next generation. For example, a new-born child is far likelier to survive if its mother is well educated. However, in some northern states less than 5% of women can read and write. Literacy rates in the north-east are two-thirds lower than in Lagos. Promoting a love of reading and improving literacy skills is a key first step in beginning to address and help overcome other related factors that lock individuals into a cycle of disadvantage. Improvements in literacy, through initiatives such as the 100 Book Challenge, ‘Bring Back the Book’ campaign and RAW, could have a profound effect on communities in Nigeria.

A Global Challenge

Nigeria can learn from lessons still being learned elsewhere. A volunteer-based campaign has just been launched in the UK to tackle the literacy crisis gripping its capital with one in three children who do not own a book and one million working adults unable to read. A campaign led by the Evening Standard will make a dramatic impact on illiteracy in the British capital.  Its success is not without the generous publicity, endorsement from public figures and most importantly, the British government. Illiteracy continues to constrain countries in both the developed and developing world, limiting the opportunities for people to escape poverty. Illiteracy is a global challenge.

Without a collective effort from the initiatives promoting literacy and most importantly, the Nigerian government, illiteracy will continue to blight Africa’s most populous nation, preventing progress. Increasing the access to books through establishing mobile libraries, training librarians, widespread volunteering programmes where people can mentor children in reading as well as investment in reading programmes in schools, are just some of the ways Nigeria can tackle illiteracy effectively.

However, for initiatives such as ‘Bring Back the Book’ and the 100 Book Challenge to make a widespread impact, they must engage the imagination of individuals across the literacy spectrum.

Students donate funds towards helping schools without books and resources

Reproduced from 'The Nation':

Students donate reading materials to schools

By Gbenga Omokhunu and Olugbenga Adanikin 29/06/2011 00:00:00
As part of efforts to promote reading and writing culture among students in Nigeria, pupils of the Hillside School have donated the sum of N25, 000 to provide books and educational materials to public schools in the Federal Capital Territory.
The grant was presented after launch of a 100 Book Challenge Scheme at the school. Coordinator of the Reading Aid Writing (RAW) Initiative, Ms. Gillian Parker disclosed that the programmewa was aimed at promoting an effective reading and writing culture among students.
Parker, who acknowledged the grant, noted that the donation would be used to provide books for public schools that lack educational resources.
Speaking on why Hillside School joined the campaign, the proprietor of the school, Catherine Rotello said that continuous reading promotes good knowledge and makes a student a better person to self and the society. She regretted that people have failed to identify reading culture as an index capable of transforming the country’s dilapidating education sector.
Rotello, who described Nigerian reading culture as bad, noted that there is need to advocate more on the significance of reading and make books available for pupils, particularly those in public schools who could not afford to own a library.
She said: "Nigeria, generally, is not into reading and that is a very sad thing. I like my school to be richly involved with reading more because the more you read the more knowledgeable you become. Aside that it makes you better student. I will like all the pupils to go to the university someday, make a better world and promote education in the country. Nigeria is like a diamond that needs to be polished in terms of education."
She however traced most pupils’ poor reading culture to the fact that students prefer to play more of video games and watch television to spending more time to study.
The Chairman, Editorial Board of Leadership Newspapers, Dr. Fatima Akilu who harped on the need to improve reading culture in the country lamented that the educational standard has reduced drastically.
Dr. Akilu said government has failed in its duty to integrate the education sector by providing public libraries, infrastructure and other educational resources particularly in public schools to make learning easier. "It is not only reading that has declined in Nigeria but the education sector. Libraries have collapsed and children don’t even have access to books. There are no public libraries and bookshops like before. In fact, unavailability of books has contributed adversely to the poor reading culture. So, government has roles to play.
"We were worried that this generation of Nigerian children was not reading any more. In a household where both parents are working and there is no time for interaction, kids at home are glued to the television instead of reading. We want to reverse the trend and get kids reading again. I believe that there is no great nation that does not have readers; all great nations start with great readers," she said.
Dr. Akilu noted that the scheme is aimed to promote reading culture among pupils as well as encourage pupils to read minimum of 100 books in a year.
While reading eight of her children’s books to the pupils, Dr. Akilu disclosed that each book was aimed at teaching pupils about each of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The goals includes: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women.
Others are reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership.
Akilu said: "It is necessary to write books that identify pupils with their culture because they make them imagine and apply knowledge acquired to everyday activity in their environments, particularly in schools."
She however urged indigenous authors to make their books accessible.

RAW joins Fatima Akilu on the 100-Book Challenge Trail

Cassava Republic author, Fatima Akilu visited Hillside School in Abuja last week as part of an innovative campaign challenging young Nigerians to read more books.

The challenge is to read 100 books in 365 days, averaging 2 books a week, beginning 1^st June 2011. Participating pupils from Hillside School got the opportunity to ask Fatima about her popular, illustrated children’s books. The school’s student council presented a donation raised through a fundraising evening, to RAW.

Student Council present their donation to RAW

 “The 100-Book Challenge is a unique reading campaign, not only for reviving what was once a country filled with ideas, interest and creativity, but also to put good books on the shelves of public schools through donations from publishers, authors and corporate bodies,” said Akilu, “the programme is already yielding results.” Pupils at Hillside have taken up the Challenge with enthusiasm with some pupils having read 50 books.

The Challenge encourages parents and guardians to get involved in their children’s reading. Individuals and schools with the highest readership will be publicly recognized for their efforts.

Akilu said that even among those children who could read, there was often little access to books, causing a decline in a nation’s reading culture. “The 100-book (challenge) really began as a result of visiting schools and talking to children and listening to their yearning,” said Akilu adding that, “Nigerian children want to read but there are no books that are easily accessible to them.”

The challenge, which is being run by Akilu and a team of student volunteers, hopes to get publishers to make books available at a reasonable discount. It also asks individuals to donate N50,000, which will buy 100 books that will be placed in public schools to help them start mini libraries.

“We have received tremendous interest in the project and children who don’t usually read are now reading and keeping track of the books they read. We hope that by next year we will be able to expand this project across all states,” she said.

Fatima Akilu is the programme’s coordinator and Chairman of the Editorial Board of Leadership Newspaper. She is the author of eight children’s books written to illustrate the UN’s eight Millennium Development Goals, including Timi’s Dream Comes True, The Yellow Mosquito Net and Preye and the Sea of Plastic are published by Cassava Republic Press and available at www.cassavarepublic.biz.

Whilst taking part in the 100-Book Challenge, children have been assured that they will receive encouragement at each stage. Participating schools will receive help on keeping a log of how many books the whole school is reading. Schools will receive visits from authors and celebrities similar to the event held at Hillside School. Young readers can sign up for the programme at their school or local library, or they can also sign up by emailing either allanwoods@leadership.ng, or allanwoods01@gmail.com.

London newspaper campaign provides compelling reasons to tackle illiteracy head-on

A London newspaper, The Evening Standard launched a Campaign tackling illiteracy in the capital, London. A series of reports this week on illiteracy in London showed that the problem comes at a heavy personal cost: illiterates are disruptive at school and humiliated by their failures. But it has other results. London businesses discard four in 10 job applications because the applicant has poor spelling and grammar. Being unable to read and write properly denies many people the chance of even being considered for a job.

Storytelling Workshop in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain

Last week the Spanish Embassy and RAW welcomed thirteen primary school teachers who teach in government schools in Abuja, to participate in a workshop on Storytelling. The week-long workshop included a storytelling event at Casalinda and a storytelling performance in the local community.

Laura, Director of CLAP (Combing Learning Acting Playing), is a Storytelling practitioner and travelled from Spain to give the workshop to thirteen primary school teachers.

The teachers with Laura, CLAP and Gillian, RAW

 The aim of the workshop was to give primary school teachers active, practical approaches to teaching creatively in the classroom, motivating young students to build their reading ability and confidence,  familiarising them with literature and therefore, strengthening education skills.

Practical approaches to storytelling

Working with Primary School teachers, the workshop helped participants to gain some new techniques when teaching children who cannot read or are in the early stages of reading. The activities developed during the week were especially designed to help encourage a more practical approach to reading and writing in the classroom and work to develop the confidence in the spoken and written word.

Laura put the teachers to the test each day by engaging them in practical activities which culminated in a storytelling performance on the final day of the workshop. RAW will continue to work with the thirteen teachers who participated, in their schools as part of the Inspiring Teachers Programme.


"I got to learn some techniques that will aid me in teaching and easy ways to communicate with the kids through storytelling....I hope there will be more of these workshops in the future".

Thanks must go to Laura for providing a top-class week of Storytelling, the Spanish Embassy who facilitated the entire workshop, NUC and Casalinda for hosting the event last week.

Teachers demonstrating dramatic storytelling

Thanks also to UBEB for their support and for providing a great group of teachers and of course special thanks to all the teachers who participated during the week. 


For more information on the workshop, go to: http://abujastorytelling.blogspot.com/