"It takes a whole village to educate a child." This could be the motto of the first congress CiiL - Center for Research and Intervention in Reading, a project that results from a bond efforts between Polytechnic of Porto, the Municipality of Porto and the Ministry of Education, and whose model of intervention in the promotion and learning of reading intends to extend to the all country.
Presenting the results and impact of research projects aimed at promoting reading learning skills, discussing the development of a regional strategy or investment policies were some of the issues highlighted during the first congress, held at the Auditorium Magno of ISEP, whose capacity was modest to withstand the enormous influx of partners, stakeholders, teachers, health professionals, directors of school groups, educators and parents.
For nearly four years on the ground, CiiL project, now accompanies 773 children, 538 in pre-school education and 235 in the 1st cycle and has gained a context of institutional cooperation.
Ana Sucena, researcher from P.PORTO and scientific coordinator of the project, framed the scope of intervention, demonstrating how the target children of early prevention (an encouragement of pre-reading skills essential for future reading skills), evidenced by the differences between the beneficiaries and the "control" group of, with similar characteristics, to attend the same levels of education, but without the CiiL intervention. "It is a work at the level of phonemic awareness and language," she explains, "and later on phonemic awareness and letter / sound relations, the foundation of what allows us to read a word in isolation."
Confronted with these positive data the expectation will now be to move towards the creation of a national network that extends the intervention model to other territories. "The objectives are the same, but we want to increase the capacity to respond," says Ana Sucena, revealing the interest already expressed by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, University of Algarve, Évora University and the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu.
"A project of excellence, an example of partnership and a testimony of what is done well in the city and in the country" - says the deputy mayor of education of Porto, Fernando Paulo, in the opening speech. "The evidence is clear and I am convinced that it will spread throughout the country," he says, appreciating the precision and scientific competence of this project.
In the afternoon period we had the chance to see a practical demonstration with the CiiL technical team and targeted children, as well as a roundtable discussion debating results with the most direct stakeholders.
The "village was present" and at one point a teacher asked: "how can I have this project in my school?
