BEN Launches Summer Literacy Programme
Bermuda Education Network [BEN] has held the first week of the Fortitude Re Summer Learning Programme at Somersfield Academy.
A spokesperson said, “Now in its fifth year, the Summer Learning Programme is BEN’s flagship literacy intervention, providing small-group instruction, one-on-one tutoring, and structured literacy lessons to strengthen reading and writing skills. It is also a successful collaboration between registered education charities Bermuda Education Network, Somersfield Academy and Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation.
“This year’s programme received thirty six new P3 students and welcomed back twenty one returning P4 students.”
Programme Director Kelly Rodday and Programme Assistant Ines Bolarinho
Camp Director, Kelly Rodday said that the programme had gotten off to a great start: “Students have settled in extremely well and are enjoying the mix of English Language Arts and visual arts. Arts and jujitsu have proven to be key ingredients to the students’ experience. While the main priority is for students to catch up and become more confident readers, they also get to move, make friends and be creative.”
A spokesperson added, “Students this year will benefit from the use of new work books and resources which were created by BEN’s programme assistant Ines Bolarinho and are aligned with the University of Florida Literacy Institute phonics programme. UFLI is a structured literacy programme which was adopted by the Bermuda Public School System in 2024 and is also used by two of the island’s private schools [Somersfield Academy and Saltus]
“Reading consultant, Natalie Roberts who was previously awarded BEN’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 2025 for her work on UFLI, has been given a new role analysing evaluation data and working with tutors and teachers to more precisely target reading needs. Mrs Roberts said that she and the curriculum team gathered input from P3 teachers in the system and identified that common challenges for seven year olds include ending spelling patterns, r-controlled vowels and affixes and suffixes. Input was also gathered from pre-assessments in order to maximise progress over three weeks. A final assessment measures improvement at the end of the programme and detailed reports are compiled for schools and parents.
“The programme also affords 6 interns the opportunity to work alongside experienced educators and gain valuable hands-on classroom experience as well as Science of Reading knowledge.”
BEN’s founder Becky Ausenda said: “Several donors and partnerships are involved in making this Summer Learning Programme possible but special thanks are due to Fortitude Re and Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy whose generous financial support have allowed BEN to help Bermuda’s children become stronger readers today while investing in the educators who will shape their futures tomorrow.”
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