Special Reading Initiatives
National Initiatives for Reading Instruction
From February 2014 to January 2016, the Ministry of Education hired Master of Education (Reading) Program graduates to serve as literacy coaches in selected primary schools. The coaching program was established to assist teachers of the Infant 1 (kindergarten), Infant 2 (Grade 1), and Standard 1 (Grade 2) levels by improving their knowledge of pedagogy and content in relation to early literacy instruction. From 2013 to 2015, seven curriculum officers specializing in reading were appointed to the Curriculum Planning and Development Division to help primary and secondary school teachers in Trinidad and Tobago improve their literacy instruction.
In 2013, the National Commission for UNESCO launched the Leading for Literacy project in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders. In a multipronged approach to develop the literacy skills of Infant 1 and 2 students, the project facilitates the annual training of 80 teachers from 40 primary schools in the use of a synthetic phonics program, 40 principals in leadership, and parents on the use of techniques to improve their children’s reading literacy at home. This program is expected to last five years.
With the introduction of the new, integrated thematic primary curriculum in 2013, primary schools have been provided with a variety of literacy resources to facilitate a hands‑on approach to literacy instruction. These resources include phonemic awareness, word recognition, vocabulary manipulatives, and phonics and comprehension kits. Additionally, teachers were trained in effective use of these resources.
Other Reading Initiatives and Policies
Although the Ministry of Education promotes inclusive and equal educational opportunities for all, many initiatives seek to assist lower achieving students. These students may receive additional reading instruction geared toward remediation; however, few efforts are made to challenge higher achieving students. While achievement gaps are not addressed by an official policy, schools are encouraged and guided to create internal programs to address the challenge of meeting students’ individual learning needs. The Ministry’s Student Support Services Division helps schools formulate these programs