Bottom row: Louise Aaron, Makayla Dyer, Monica Polydore, Nechante Leblanc, Solika Dupigny
Ten finalists will battle it out for the top spot in the DBS Radio Reading Competition slated for Friday 4th July, 2014 at the Arawak House of Culture.
Speaking to Dominica News Online on Thursday afternoon Coordinator of the competition, Felix Henderson, explained that the seven-year-old competition has been meeting its objectives thus far.
“The whole idea is to get children to read more,” he noted. “When people have nothing to do they sit by the roadside and we hear children who say that because they know somebody who was in the competition last year they want to be part of it the next year and so they read more.”
According to him, the competition has also helped not only children but adults to read more.
“We also see older people read more,” Henderson stated. “If the parents are reading with the children then you have more reading and even further than that if the school has competition at their school, class against class, boys against girls, then you can choose the best reader to represent your school and what you really have is more reading at school.”
He added that although there are other distractions such as television and other electronic gadgets, reading is still important.
“We have to fight, believe and hope that our children will get caught up with reading because reading is so important,” he said. “If someone cannot read they miss out on a lot. Reading causes you to enter worlds that you would never enter, places that you would never go to.”
Henderson pointed out further that reading is an attitude and it starts with the children. He noted that the competition also has an impact on the education system in Dominica.
“Reading is the key to everything. If you cannot read you cannot understand anything so this is why we want to encourage people to read. There are so many people who didn’t read for one reason or another. Now there is no excuse,” he said.
The targeted age group for the competition is students between the ages of 8 to 10.
The ten finalists are Jonathan Honore from the Ebenezer Seventh Day Adventist School, Solika Dupigny of the Paix bouche Primary School, Keila Alexander of the Woodfordhill Primary, Louise Aaron of the Pioneer Prep, Nechante Leblanc of the St John’s Primary, Jarrett Jean Jacque of the St Luke’s Primary, Monica Polydore from the Wesley Primary school, Anessa Laurent of the Lighthouse Christian Academy, Chrissie Piper of the Goodwill Primary and Makayla Dyer of the Christian Union Primary.
Some of the ten finalists will spend a night on Thursday at hotels and guest houses around the city and will enjoy lunch at the Garraway Hotel on Friday afternoon before the competition.
The top reader will travel to Grenada to represent Dominica at the OECS Reading Competition and a chance to grab the top prize of $2,000.
2013 winner Shanda Francis of the Lighthouse Christian Academy walked away with the second runner up position at that competition in St. Lucia last year.
The competition will be carried live on DBS Radio, Voice of Life Radio and Kairi FM on Friday afternoon.
It is being held in collaboration with Courts and the Ministry of Education.
i hope you all heard who won.It was well judged
So proud of you Makayla. It is quite admirable that as only a Grade 3 student you made it this far. Congratulations! We expect great things from you in the future. Go CUPS, we are destined for greatness.
The judges have their favorites from round one. Even when they read poorly on a day they are slated in because of how they read previously. Nothing in Dominica is treated with equity.
go lighthouse, you continue to make us proud every year.
chante you got the ability to win, i know you can. St.Jonh’s all the way yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Johnathan all de way
Go Keila!!! know that woodford hill is behind you cheering you on
lets go kayla….. u can do it
lets go get it again Anessa!!!! Light house Christian all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One boy, nine girls. young man, hope you win. I am rooting for you.
Paix-Bouche Primary all the way. Take it all Solika, do it for yourself, family, school and the community.
Go Chrissie !!!! Go chrissie1111 This is Goodwill school TIME.
We lOVE YOU Chrissie.
Go Chrissie, Go Chrissie!!!! We love you.
Chrissie Piper all the way!!!!!! This is Goodwill Primary School time.
Congratulations to the organizers and the finalist of the reading competition .However something is wrong with the boys. To have only two boys from the ten is not good enough. Something should be done about that .
Good Luck St Luke’s – way to go Jarett! We’re with you all the way. From all your friends overseas!!
As I have said before, the better the ability to read and understand it is the better the ability to write and express oneself.
Poor reading is the reason for the poor writing which is on DNO day in and day out–from those who comment. If we cannot read with understanding, how can we have knowledge to speak or write what is factual
Therefore let continue to provoke our children to embrace the art of reading–as this ability becomes perfect in them, so the writing and the speaking become effective as well–I look forward to seeing the art of reading and writing effectively displayed through the comments here.
One word, hilarious!
congratulations to all the children,parents and teacher. You have made it this far may the best reader wins. We all want our school to win so i will say lets Go Keila Alexander Woodford Hill Primary school.
Let”s go st John ,let”s go we love u nechante
Go Jarett go! St Luke’s all the way.
Congratulations to all the students who made it to the finals and also to the schools that they represent. But what happened to St Martin’s Primary, Convent Prep and St Mary’s Primary?
Everytime is a St Martin School, Convent Prep, st Marys, LIghthous and PIoneer. There are smart children in other schools.
Let’s go Makayla… Christian Union Primary
I agree!! don’t let st John’s take everything!!!
I always for my old school. Goodwill Primary
Chrissie Piper all the way!!!!! This is Goodwill Primary School time.
lets go st. john
Lets go S.D.A lets go
Lets go Johnathan do good and win it for the school
The results in these competitions are NEVER fair!!!
I know right!!
Let’s go St John’s Catholic Primary (Neshante) and Paix Bouche Primary School (Solika)
All the best St Lukes Primary School. God’s Blessings and guidance on you and all your other competitors. Way to Go St Luke’s Continue to make us proud we love you all.
the correct spelling for neshante is nechante please plp spell the name correct thank u