Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 13/02) - If pictures tell a thousand words, students at two city schools should make big improvements to their vocabulary this year.

Lucille Moore, a student at J.H. Sissons school, is engrossed in a book. Chris Puglia/NNSL photo - Chris Puglia/NNSL photo

The Yellowknife Education District No. 1 started an Early Intervention Literacy Project at J.H. Sissons and Mildred Hall schools this fall.

The program is aimed at Grade 1 students at the schools and is being modelled after a successful literacy program started by the Northern Lights School Division in Alberta.

The literacy model uses large photographs where words are associated with elements on the picture.

"Everyone learns to read this way, whether you're 60 or six," said Anita Griffore, who is the early literacy strategy co-ordinator for Yellowknife No. 1.

Griffore said the program has been effective.

"Kids that don't even know the names of letters are reading words," she said. "What they found in Alberta is kids make a legitimate gain in reading."

Yellowknife No. 1 is hoping to see similar success at the two schools where the program is being piloted.

"Fifty per cent of students (in the district) were below the acceptable reading level at the end of Grade 3," said Griffore.

Measured for success

The students at in the pilot program at Mildred Hall and J.H. Sissons schools will be measured against a control group of Grade 1 students at N.J. Macpherson and Range Lake schools, where the program is not offered.

"We are hoping they will make equal gains as the control group," said Griffore.

There are 20 teachers trained to administer the literacy model at Yellowknife No. 1 schools and the program may be implemented in other grades.

Griffore said all students in the program -- if results are consistent with Alberta -- should see similar improvement.

"Special needs children with identified low IQ's or students with learning disabilities make equal gains as other students," said Griffore.

The downside to the program is that the $5,000 allocated for materials is not adequate and grants are currently being looked at to meet financial needs.

The board reviewed the program at a regular meeting on Sept. 10 and gave it rave reviews.

"What I am seeing here is an initiative to address the problems we are having in our native population," said board trustee Rob Meckling.

"We have said this is a priority area and to see something in place is exciting," added trustee Maureen Miller.