Reading Improvement through a Holiday Reading Club
Obiageli Nnamani
General Studies Division
Enugu State University of Science & Technology
Agbani
[email protected], [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Sufficient literature exists to demonstrate that Nigerian students do not enjoy reading. Modern technologies have further driven them far from reading. Research not only demonstrates that reading improves the vocabulary, spelling, writing and reading ability of readers but attribute the poor standard in English among students to their poor foundation in reading. After the Reading Instructors Certification Training Program organized for Nigerian University teachers between 15, April -3 May 2013, participants were challenged to open reading clubs in their various stations. The current article reports the work carried out in a reading program during the July /August 2013 holiday. While the youngest categories of readers engaged in picture reading sessions, were read to and watched alphabet games on television; the intermediate group were read to, read on their own, engaged in sight recognition of words, forming words with alphabets and playing scrabble. The oldest category, amongst other activities, engaged in silent reading, read-aloud sessions, discussed and wrote summaries of books, read newspapers and played scrabble. All groups listened to books on compact disc. After six weeks, little improvement was noticed among struggling readers while the confident readers were more excited about reading than when the program began.