How we created an immersive, student-centred Primary Language Arts course for the Caribbean
Stephen Holford
“Like many regions, the Caribbean faces challenges with student engagement and literacy rates. We asked ourselves how we could inspire primary students to develop lasting literacy and personal and social wellbeing skills.”
Teachers told us that Caribbean classroom dynamics are changing, and they need materials that are both recognizable and inspiring. To address the issue, we worked closely with teachers, Ministries of Education, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to develop materials that take a relatable, topic-based approach to Language Arts.
The outcome is听Let’s Leap!, a course that encourages learners to enjoy and engage with language, literature, and the world around them.
To ensure positive engagement with the course, we started by listening to teachers, who reported that students were disinterested in reading, struggled to communicate, and had poor social skills.听
We assembled an author team led by Anna Yeomans, a specialist in English Language, with local experts from key Caribbean countries to work closely with the team. Anna developed a pan-Caribbean Programme of Study, integrating individual curricula into a cohesive framework.听
The course is based on three fundamental principles:
- Positive emotions: we retain information better when linked to positive emotions like interest, enjoyment, humour, and empathy.
- Personal relevance: information is more engaging when it connects to our life experiences and interests.
- Active learning: skills are mastered most effectively through active learning.
To implement these principles, we developed a 7-level course from Early Years to secondary school entrance exams. It includes student books, workbooks, and teacher鈥檚 guides with digital Kerboodle Books hosting audio extracts.听
Like many regions, the Caribbean faces challenges with student engagement and literacy rates. We asked ourselves how we could inspire primary students to develop lasting literacy and personal and social wellbeing skills.
Central to the course are integral characters who grow through the series and whose experiences are relatable, encouraging discussion and engagement.听
Our priority was keeping the Caribbean at the centre of the development journey. We continually asked how disengaged students would respond to our resources.听
Piloting Let鈥檚 Leap! in five countries allowed us to gather valuable feedback, presented as case studies showing the series’ transformative potential. The Portfolio of Connected Evidence informed further development and provided advocacy for our entry into the Primary Language Arts market.听
The feedback reassured us that we have a truly Caribbean identity that is student-centred, relatable, and aligned with developments in regional pedagogy. This collaborative effort puts Caribbean students and teachers first, furthering our publishing mission. The course feels 鈥榬ight,鈥� and that is reflected in the hugely positive response to it so far. I am deeply thankful to everyone who contributed.
Find out more about听Let’s Leap! .
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