Literacy for Dominican-Haitian Youth in the Batey

“Thanks to Yspaniola, I learned how to read fluently. So, I love Yspaniola. Thanks to Yspaniola there are so many people here who can read and write.” says Ruth

Ruth started working with Yspaniola as an assistant in Reading Hour in April where she helped students improve their reading fluency, by reading with them and helping them when they don't know a word, its meaning, or pronunciation. 

The goal of our Reading Hour is not only to help children with their reading skills, but also to help them develop their Spanish language skills, as for most of the children, Spanish is their second language. Several studies, including longitudinal and interventional research, show that poor reading comprehension is strongly linked to deficiencies in vocabulary (Colenbrander, et al., 2016). Thus, by reinforcing reading skills, we help children develop a broader vocabulary, which over time will facilitate the development of better reading and comprehension skills. 

When we asked Ruth about her experience and the importance of a program like this in the community where she lives, she responded:

“In 2020, I mentored 4 students through Yspaniola, in a class called Group 6. Today, I am so proud because the students I mentored are some of the strongest in our Reading Hour program. I think this job is important because I am helping students learn how to read. It is important because there are children in our community who do not have stable attendance at school. Some students cannot attend school because they do not have legal documents, like a Birth Certificate. Through Reading Hour, students can learn to read and write outside of school.”

As a supporter of Yspaniola, your essential donations are greatly appreciated, as they will help Yspaniola expand this program and others to achieve our goal of breaking the cycle of poverty for families through education. We thank you for all your contributions! 

Bibliography

Colenbrander, Danielle, et al. «Individual Differences in the Vocabulary Skills of Children with Poor Reading Comprehension». Learning and Individual Differences, vol. 50, August 2016, pp. 210-20. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.07.021.