Literacy education is emphasised within Nyarugusu primary schools, as it provides children with life skills and the ability to communicate effectively. Along with this, children ultimately learn how to speak, write, read, view, listen and design in English during literacy development.

 

Due to the above information, the proposed project for my future learning space, will be a series of 10 english literacy activities with an emphasis on particular skills. Each day, Nyarugusu teachers will choose 4 literacy activities from the list, and split students equally into 4 groups. Each group will rotate between activities, spending 20 minutes at each. The literacy activities are adaptable within the refugee camp, can be extended upon, are child-friendly, utilise minimal resources and most of all incorporate play and socialisation. 

 

Story Ball: 

In a group, read children a short story. Take a beach ball and write the following on each coloured section: Who?, Where?, Beginning?, Middle?, End?, Favourite part?. Toss the ball to a child and they must answer the question displayed under their right hand. The ball will then be tossed back and forth between students until all the questions are answered. 

 

Letter-Sound Hopscotch:

On a pavement, using chalk draw a hopscotch formation with letter sounds in each box e.g S. Each child gets a turn at hopping on the hopscotch and saying each letter-sound they land on.  When children land on the 2 squares across one another, they must say the sound that the two letters make together e.g S and H= SH.

 

Sight Word Water Game:

Children are to write common spelling words on a clean pavement using chalk. Dunk a sponge into a bucket of water and take turns throwing the wet sponge at each word, observing how long it takes for the word to disappear. Once the word is completely gone, see if the children can remember how the disappeared word was spelled. 

 

Write Pen Pal Postcards:

Teachers organise pen pals for children from schools across the world. Children should be encouraged to write about anything they wish and, may draw illustrations to accompany their postcard. Postcards should then be sent to pen pals.

 

Jump Rope the Days of the Week:

Using a long jump rope, children sing the rhyme aloud and allow 1 or more children to jump the rope and follow the movements- 

M for Monday, turn around, T for Tuesday, touch the ground, W for Wednesday, jump so high, T for Thursday, touch the sky, F for Friday, say hooray! S for Saturday, time to play, S for Sunday, clap your hands, It’s time to start all over again!

 

Sight Word Jenga:

Using blank wooden rectangular blocks, write one sight word using permanent marker on each. Stack the blocks up into a tower, players will then take turns pulling out one wooden block. If the tower does not fall, the player must use the word written on the block in a sentence. The aim is to pull out as many word blocks possible without knocking the tower over. 

 

All About Me Book:

Students create a book all about them using paper and writing/colouring materials. The book may include: 

• An illustration of the child

• Description about the child: Create sentences about themselves using the 5 senses e.g I love to look at…

 

Letter Chalk Game:

Teacher writes letters with chalk on a pavement. 

1. Find the letter: Teacher calls out the letter and students run to it.

2. Find the letter sound: Teacher calls out the letter sound and students run to it.

3. Letter action: Teacher calls out a letter and accompanying movement e.g Clap on C. Students run to the letter and do the movement.

 

Reading of Story Books:

Students should be provided with several children’s story books that may be collected from inexpensive stores and sent to Nyarugusu. Children will be allowed time to sit and read the story and observe its illustrations. 

 

Getting into Character:

Read children a short story. Upon completion, students arrange themselves in groups and re-enact either the beginning, middle or end of the story.