Read, Write and Thrive
Enhancing literacy among the elderly, school leavers, refugees, and travellers.
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“I am from Syria I was a carpenter, I left school early its more difficult for me. This course has helped me, I can do it. I feel better now.”- Learner
This project aimed to develop literacy and digital skills among various cohorts throughout Longford. A key part of the project focused on building learner self-confidence in terms of speaking English and conversing with others.
The project take place in Lus na Gréine FRC in North Longford and in Bridgeways FRC in South Longford. The project began in Granard and ran from April to July 2024. It then moved to Bridgeways FRC and ran there from September to November 2024. 30 participants completed the programme in both locations.
Learners acquired foundational vocabulary necessary for daily communication, including common nouns, verbs, adjectives, and basic expressions. They also improved their literacy through comprehension exercises and guided reading, paired reading, and the use of outdoor reading corners.
Tutors covered basic grammar rules, including sentence structure, verb tenses, and simple sentence construction.
Everyone improved their listening comprehension through exposure to spoken English in various contexts, such as conversations, audio recordings, and instructions. Learners practised their English in an outdoor garden setting and role plays in a café area, which enhanced their self-confidence.
Learners reported that barriers between them melted away, and they felt less anxious about speaking or writing English. They benefitted greatly from the tools they gained and had a follow up plan to maintain their learning support.
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Learners practising their English skills outdoors.
"I loved the course I don’t want it to end, now I know others here in this town and I am not lonely and I am better at English. ”- Learner
This project was a collaboration between Lus na Gréine Family Resource Centre (FRC) and Bridgeways Family Resource Centre (FRC).
For more information about the project, please contact Anne-Maria Egan, Regional Literacy Coordinator in Longford and Westmeath ETB, at aegan@lwetb.ie
The Adult Literacy for Life Collaboration and Innovation Fund
The Collaboration and Innovation Fund supports projects for adults with unmet literacy, numeracy and digital literacy needs and projects that support organisations to be literacy friendly. The closing date for 2024 applications has now passed but keep an eye out for information on our 2025 fund which will be launched in December.
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