Moderators' Summary- Day Two

Dear Friends,Thanks for your continued participation in our discussion. We noted that many persons pickedup discussion threads from yesterday's conversation.Today's posts focused on strategies to raise students' performance. The suggestions includedfocusing on the process rather than on the product; encouraging the explicit teaching ofPhonics (the ABEKA sytem was cited as a good programme); immersing students in a range oflanguage experiences, and counselling students where necessary to address mental healthissues. We were also pointed to UK based research which suggested that successul schools implemented a range of strategies including curriculum adaptation; instructional practices which made literacy meaningful to the students; support for children at risk for underachievement, and  the use of assessemt data as a means of determining critical starting points for the students. All in all, the interaction has been quite rich - each participant bringing a new perspective.We encourage those of you who are viewing " on the side"  to  share your thoughts with us.Looking forward to your participation in tomorrow's discussion. Jennifer, Maureen and NoveletteUSAID/Jamaica Basic Education Project