Parents and teachers should set a positive example in encouraging children to read.

Reading education officer Darnell Todd-Wynn stressed this yesterday during a speech to the Hamilton Rotary Club.

Addressing the topic "Good First Teaching With A Second Chance To Learn'' Mrs. Todd-Wynn said children who get involved in the daily activities with their parents or guardians have a solid basis that would put them at great advantage when they start school.

"Unfortunately, children in many modern homes may never see an adult concentrating for any considerable period of time on anything except the television screen,'' she told Rotarians at their luncheon at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

Emphasising that the obligation did not rest with parents alone, Mrs.

Todd-Wynn also spoke of the role of schools in helping children to read.

"There are some important elements in a comprehensive literacy education that must be a part of any educational system if it is to maximise the learning potential of its students,'' she said.

These included: An outreach programme for the parents of preschoolers that include books for the home; A dynamic, rich Primary One classroom that introduces children to reading and writing processes in authentic, enjoyable ways; An extensive and balanced literacy programme in the Primary Two year and beyond, with early intervention, as a safety net, for the lowest achievers, such as the Reading Recovery programme; Additional in-class small group support for other children as needed; Special education services for a very small number of children in the third and fourth year who require long-term support; and Continuous professional development for all teachers.

Mrs. Todd-Wynn emphasised that daily reading aloud in the classroom, guided reading in small groups, and independent reading at home are an important part of a balanced reading programme.

She stressed the importance of early intervention to act as a safety net in ensuring success in literacy.

"Early intervention is necessary to move the greatest majority of students into literacy before they feel the weight of failure,'' she said, adding that it was a wise investment of tax dollars.

Mrs. Todd-Wynn also spoke of the Reading Recovery Programme that has already been instituted in Bermuda.

It is an early intervention programme directed toward providing intensive, individual help for children having difficulty in reading and writing after one year at school.

Read! Reading education officer Darnell Todd-Wynn