What We Do: Reading Improvement in Primary Education (RIPE)
Success
Schools using EQUALL’s Reading Improvement in Primary Education Program:
The percentage of Ghanaian language literate pupils increased from 19% in 2005 to 32% in 2008.
The percentage of English language literate pupils increased from 27% in 2007 to 37% in 2008.
EQUALL’s Reading Improvement in Primary Education (RIPE) uses a proven effective method for teaching literacy. It teaches children to:
- first learn to read and write in the local language
- then apply reading and writing skills to learning English.
Supporting Ghana’s Education Efforts
The Reading Improvement Program supports the Ghana Education Service goal of every child learning to read before completing primary school. About three quarters of children in Ghana who complete primary school cannot read, according to Government sources.
EQUALL Approach
The EQUALL team trains District Teacher Support Teams (DTSTs) how to teach children to read and write first in their mother tongue, introducing reading and writing in English in Primary 2. The DTSTs in turn train teachers in selected schools. Teachers are given simple strategies that help children learn to read such as:
- allotting more time for reading
- reading aloud to children using shared books and big books
- using pictures and prediction techniques to increase comprehension
- concentrating on building oral vocabulary before introducing reading and writing.
Effectiveness of RIPE
EQUALL’s Reading Improvement Program has brought enormous benefits to its 20 partner districts including:
- training literacy trainers (the District Teacher Support Teams)
- improving teachers’ instructional ability
- increasing focus and time for reading instruction in participating schools
- improving children’s literacy skills in local language and English
