2. MARCO REFERENCIAL
2.1. Antecedentes de la Investigación
2.1.3. Locales
The programme predominantly employs interactive teaching-learning methodologies such as play-to-learn approaches that involve games, dra- ma, sports and group activities. These are supported by «joint» child-parent learning sessions, which are mediated by the tutors, and further reinforced through repetition in the home environment. The parents do not participate in Ħilti Club activities solely as learners; they are also there to influence their children’s learning development and learn to fulfil their own potential as co-teachers, lifelong learners and, ultimately, leaders of other parents.
The programme relies on a number of teaching-learning materials based on key FES publications in both Maltese and English. These include two bilingual reading packs targeting children aged 6 – 7 and 7 – 8, as well as a guidebook for parents which focuses on how they can base a range of activities in the home on the themes contained in the children’s books.
PROGRAMME IMPACT
AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Since its inception, the Ħilti Programme has been evaluated
extensively by senior FES (internal) and external professionals, with the former undertaking assessment visits on an ongoing basis. In both cases, however, qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to assess and evaluate the partici- pants’ (children, parents, teachers and schools) perceptions of the programme’s impact on educational development and lifelong learning. In particular, parents, Ħilti Club tutors, day-school teachers and school administration authorities were asked to evaluate criteria such as classroom participation, attainment, motivation and psycho-social development. The results of these evaluation processes indicate that the programme has major benefits for all participating parties. These benefits include: ■ Improved psycho-social devel- opment: Child assessments before and after participating in Ħilti Club activities indicate that the programme promotes holistic, psycho-social development. Children exhibited improved self-esteem, self-confidence and inter-personal (social, communi- cation) skills after participating in the programme. Most importantly, the programme has had major benefits on children’s educational develop- ment, showing improvements in the acquisition of literacy skills, the devel- opment of creative and critical think- ing skills, educational attainment and the ability to learn. For example, most children admitted during interviews that the programme has stimulated their interest in learning in order to achieve better results. These results are particularly important in view of the fact the Ħilti programme primarily aims to assist children with literacy and social development needs. ■ Impact of parental participation on children’s educational develop- ment: Evaluation results indicate a strong correlation between paren- tal participation in their children’s education and the children’s educa- tional progress in terms of literacy, participation in classroom activities, and personal and social skills. Data collected from day-school teach- ers showed statistically significant correlations (p<0.005) between a) children’s increase in literacy devel- opment and parents’ rate of partici- pation, and b) children’s participation in the programme and improvements
in their literacy, personal and social skills.
■ Social Impacts: Parents and chil- dren strongly feel that participation in family literacy programmes is ben- eficial both for education and for the development of personal and social skills. Hence, approximately 90% of parents believe that the programme has improved their parenting capabil- ities as manifested by, for example, improved relations and communica- tion with their children; an increased capacity and willingness to assist their children with their school work; and higher involvement in school affairs. According to one parent: «I was im- pressed by how the parents, including myself, worked with our children. My daughter was very happy that I was with her, helping her along. She used to wait for me to show me her work because she knows I like it that she does that.»
The programme has also had positive and enriching benefits on partici- pating teachers and their schools, and thus the education system in general. Teachers participating in Ħilti Club activities have adopted a range of teaching-learning tools and strategies to enrich their classroom practices, including: the use of phonics and individualised learning plans for students with literacy difficulties; and inter-personal and participatory methods. Additionally, these teachers are more inclined to cooperate actively with parents, thereby creating strong links between children’s school and home learning, and, by extension, opening up possibilities for the institutionalisation of intergenerational lifelong learning in Malta. Accordingly, about 90% of school heads stated that programme is effective in terms of children’s and adults’ learning experiences and actively encouraged parental participation in the school.
In a nutshell, the Ħilti programme has played a critical role in:
■ enhancing children’s social and literacy development even in a severe literacy needs context;
■ enhancing lifelong learning among parents;
■ empowering parents to become parent leaders (i.e. significant re- source persons in their educational community); and
■ enhancing home-school links and the school’s perceptions of the poten- tial for parental involvement.
SOURCES
■ Schembri Meli, Mariangela: Family Literacy as a key prevention strategy for literacy attainment in Malta : QualiFLY G2 Project Meeting, Istan- bul, 14 – 16 November 2005. ■ S. Spiteri, and J. Camilleri: Family Literacy in Malta : an Effective Strat- egy for Enhanced Literacy, Parental Involvement and Lifelong Learning. Foundation for Educational Services (FES).
■ UNESCO: Family Literacy : a Global Approach
CONTACT
Sandro Spiteri
Foundation for Educational Services E-mail: [email protected]
80
NETHERLANDS
VoorleesExpress
Implementing Organization SodaProducties foundation Language of Instruction Dutch FundingGovernment Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment: Ruimte voor Contact programme, until August 2010; Ministry of Youth and Family: Vrijwillige Inzet voor en door Jeugd en Gezin (Voluntary Commitment by and for Youth and Families) programme, until December 2011; VSBfonds; OranjeFonds. Programme Partners Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment; Ministry of Youth and Family; housing corporation Mitros; Evident Interactive; publisher Gottmer; Stichting Lezen (Reading Foundation); Stichting Lezen and Schrijven (Reading and Writing Foundation ); Sectorinstituut voor Openbare Bibliotheken (Sector Institute for Public Libraries); CINOP; Oranje Fonds; Sardes; Gottmer ; Entoenentoen; Pica Educatief; Peuter TV; Eenvoudig communiceren; Unieboek; MultiCopy, national housing corporation Aedes; national speech therapists oganisation NVLF; Landelijk Netwerk Thuislesorganisaties (home learning organisation); Stichting Actief Ouderschap (Active Parents Foundation); and numerous elementry schools. Annual Programme Costs National organisation, Platform VoorleesExpress €100,000. Local organisations: depending on the number of participants, varying from around € 40,000 to € 200,000. Annual programme cost per learner Between €500 and €800 Date of Inception 2006
COUNTRY CONTEXT
AND BACKGROUND
The education system in the Netherlands is one of the most advanced in the world. The country invests 6% of its GDP in education. It is the leading country on UNICEF’s children’s well-being classification. Education was one of the features evaluated on this list, and the Netherlands got the highest score. However, the reading abilities of many primary school children fall short of the required level. One in seven pupils has an inadequate reading level when they finish Year 3 of primary education. On finishing Year 4, the reading levels of one in three pupils are inadequate, while a quarter of pupils finish Year 8 at the reading level of a Year 6 pupil. Many young students who do not acquire the required level of literacy nevertheless continue with their studies. Among adults, 35% of illiterate people graduated from primary education, while 26% have a secondary school diploma. Almost a third (30%) have a vocational degree and the rest (9%) have a pre-universi- ty education qualification or higher. The risk of illiteracy is higher among women, low-skilled workers, older adults, first-generation immigrants and people who are unemployed. Reading problems are therefore disproportionately found among children from socio-economically and / or educationally disadvantaged families. Socio-economic status is a strong predictor of children’s school performance. What children learn about written language depends on how it is used in daily routines and rituals and the interactions that take place around those activities. It was in response to this problem that the
SodaProducties organisation initiated the VoorleesExpress programme.
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
The ‘VoorleesExpress’
(ReadingExpress) programme started as an initiative of two sisters in the Kanaleneiland district of Utrecht, an area with many immigrants, low social cohesion and high crime rates. The sisters wanted to change this, and started the foun- dation SodaProducties in December 2005. Their first programme, the ‘VoorleesExpress’, started in January 2006. SodaProducties develops projects that facilitate the exchange of knowledge between organisations in the field of volunteering and social entrepreneurship. One of the con- cerns of the foundation was with the language and literacy skills of Dutch children. In order to improve them, they created the VoorleesExpress programme. VoorleesExpress was initiated with 10 volunteers and 10 families from Kanaleneiland. The programme succeeded, and, from 2007, it was extended to other Dutch cities.
Today VoorleesExpress aims its programme at both immigrant and native families with low literacy levels. Franchises of VoorleesExpress were established in 59 locations in total. By the beginning of 2014 the pro- gramme had reached 3,314 families and had about 3,791 volunteers.
Aims and Objectives
■ Enhance children’s reading habits; ■ Stimulate children to enjoy books; ■ Enrich the home literacy environ- ment by involving all family members; ■ Promote children’s language and pre-literacy skills;
■ Enable parents to encourage their children’s language acquisition in their own way; and
Strengthen the relationship between parents and schools so they share responsibility for the child’s develop- ment, supporting and augmenting each other’s efforts
PROGRAMME
IMPLEMENTATION:
APPROACHES AND
METHODOLOGIES
The VoorleesExpress stimulates language and pre-literacy skills development and the joy in reading of children from families with low literacy by reading books to them. The programme enhances children’s language development at an early age and encourages parents to have an active role in their children’s early development.