Elaine Reid, English language teacher, said she has urged her students to place newspaper clippings in scrapbooks and use them as a study tool.

"We find that the students are not reading the newspapers enough. We want them to do, so that they can perform better in their academics," Reid noted.

Improvement needed

Winsome Johnson, a vice-principal, told The Gleaner that while there was an upswing in students' academic performance, there was still room for major improvement.

The school, which was founded in the 1970s, now has more than 2,000 students enrolled, and 85 teachers on staff.

Newspapers, Johnson added, were viewed as a template for descriptive writing in the languages, and were used as a source of information on other subjects, such as chemistry, physics, literature, geography and social studies.

Suggestions

Vincent Mitchell, another vice-principal at the school, said the interest in Gleaner publications transcended editorial content.

"Some teachers use The Gleaner as a reading resource, especially in the area of English, and they use the advertisements to compare writing styles," Mitchell remarked.

Shirlette Ferriari, a reading specialist at the school, had suggestions on how The Gleaner could expand its reach. She believes that word searches, pen pal features and motivational information would pique the interest of young readers, particularly remedial students.

sonia.mitchell@gleanerjm.com

"Some teachers use The Gleaner as a reading resource, especially in the area of English, and they use the advertisements to compare writing styles," Mitchell remarked.