38
Implementation Report from Ireland
Executive Summary:
The guiding premise for this
project is the assertion that
“a lifelong learner is first and
foremost a lifelong reader”.
It is well established that the
early childhood years serve
as an important foundation
for
subsequent
literacy
development. The degree to
which
children
acquire
literacy skills is known to be
a strong predictor of future academic success and has long-term social and economic
implications for families and societies. In a statement issued by the International
Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children,
they stress "one of the best predictors of whether a child will function competently in
school and go on to contribute actively in our increasingly literate society is the level to
which the child progresses in reading and writing" (IRA/NAEYC, 1998, p. 30).
Reading for pleasure is an important concept to the success of lifelong readers. Reading
for pleasure refers to reading that we to do of our own free will anticipating the
satisfaction that we will get from the act of reading. It also refers to reading that having
begun at someone else’s request we continue because we are interested in it. It typically
involves materials that reflect our own choice, at a time and place that suits us.
The following report describes the implementation of the Lifelong Readers Project in St.
Patrick’s Boys National School from October 2012 to June 2013. The report provides a
context of implementation, providing background information on St. Patrick’s BNS and a
snap shot of their school community. A short description of the teacher training modules
and reading promotion plan follows. The data collection methods implemented and
their findings are then presented. The final part of the report deals with
