‘Focus Schools Next Steps initiative’

Last weekend, Margaret James was invited by Chris Sarra, director of the Stronger Smarter Institute to introduce the Honey Ant Readers program at a forum bringing together Next Steps School Principals and Indigenous Community members from across the country to discuss strategies for improving outcomes in education.

Within minutes of her presentation, Margaret had 186 principals and their assistants singing in Luritja language to demonstrate the usefulness of songs for creating a fun, safe learning environment, for building oral language and reinforcing vocabulary and pronunciation.   The response was terrific, and the catchy tune “Kami, Kami tjawani” will probably be heard in schools and communities around Australia for many weeks to come!

Here is what Chris said about the HAR:

“Engaging children in reading can be a complex and difficult process. This can be even more complex where children speak a language other than English, and come from a background that is vastly different to other Australians. The Honey Ant Reader series is a grassroots reading program developed in consultation with  community. Honey Ant Readers enable Aboriginal children to read in the language of their playground from meaningful material carefully scaffolded, while keeping abreast of Standard English through specific speaking and singing activities. The Honey Ant Reader approach lets children ‘see themselves’ and their own stories in text, enabling greater familiarity, confidence and enthusiasm for reading”.

Focus Schools Next Step Initiative is a program delivered by the Stronger Smarter Institute, to directly assist around 100 specially selected schools across Australia to “close the gaps” by lifting attendance, engagement and literacy and numeracy attainment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. With $30 million Federal Government funding over two years to 2013, the new initiative complements the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010-2014 launched by the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs on 9 June 2011. Around 7800 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are expected to benefit from additional resources and teachers trained on responsive and innovative learning approaches tailored to local circumstances that involve parents and carers in decisions about their children’s learning.

It’s exciting to be involved in this historic initiative, with Chris Sarra and his team, school and community leaders working together with teachers, tutors, parents, carers and kids for a stronger smarter future for our children!