Article Title
Improving Children’s Reading Skills: The Impact of Literacy Boost in Rwanda
Abstract
This study sought to determine how much influence a Literacy Boost program may have on children’s success and evaluate the relationship between children participating in Literacy Boost programs and children in control schools in Rwanda. This study substantiated a connection between improved reading and the Literacy Boost programs in schools for children. Those who participated in Literacy Boost schools had advanced passing scores. The sample for this research encompassed 740 grade 1 learners divided among 18 schools of Literacy Boost intervention
and 18 comparison schools. During student reading assessments, all children sampled were given an emergent literacy test composed of letter identification, letter awareness, word recognition and reading, reading fluency and accuracy, and listening and reading comprehension. The
tests were given in the local language, which is Kinyarwanda. The findings revealed that while parents and community in general are engaged in helping students study and complete homework on a daily basis, there is still a large deficit in the proportion of parents and relatives that are reading to their children or telling them stories that could help them improve reading and comprehension skills. In addition, the findings from reading assessments revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between Literacy Boost students and comparison students on letter identification and awareness, word recognition, reading sentences, and comprehension of questions. However, Literacy Boost programs in Rwanda are still demonstrating a positive impact for enhancing efficiency in education through improving children’s reading skills.
Recommended Citation
Mbonitegeka, Damien
(2016)
"Improving Children’s Reading Skills: The Impact of Literacy Boost in Rwanda,"
Journal of Interdisciplinary Graduate Research: Vol. 2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/jigr/vol2/iss1/2