This document discusses the benefits of teaching children to read in their mother tongue in the early grades of primary school. It notes that statistics show low literacy levels in Uganda and cites a lack of early reading instruction in familiar languages as a contributing factor. The document recommends teaching reading in a systematic way using age-appropriate texts in the child's mother tongue. It presents data from a school reading program that showed significant gains in reading fluency and comprehension for children who received mother tongue instruction.

1. Making Schooling More Meaningful: The
benefits of learning to read in mother
tongue in the early grades

2. The Issues
• Statistics of low literacy (reading) achievement
among of primary school learners
• Evident causes of low levels, with reference to
home and schooling experiences
• Available solutions, emphasizing mother tongue
reading and writing programs in lower grades
• Evidence of gains from systematic mother tongue
reading instruction demonstrated by SHRP
• How Government can institutionalize these gains

3. The Problem
• NAPE data (2014) of 64.2% of P3 learners being
proficient in English literacy and 48.6% in oral reading.
• UWEZO data (2013) of 47% of 10 year olds in Uganda
reading.
• School Health and Reading Program EGRA data (2013)
shows low abilities ranging between 0 and 0.3 wpm
among P1 children for At s , Lëblaŋo, Luganda andɛ ͻ
Runy-Ruk.
• Statistics suggest learning failure, given the critical role
of reading in learning.
• Statistics are in spite of the Thematic Curriculum which
emphasizes teaching in the child’s familiar language.

4. A Review of the Causes
• The Thematic Curriculum emphasizes the existing
speaking and listening competences of the child as a
basis for early reading and writing.
• Children come to school with a level of competence
in speaking and listening in mother tongue.
• Children joining P1 are exposed to content in an
unfamiliar language, and are expected to know how
to read in it.
• Few teachers are equipped with knowledge of how
children learn to read and the methods of teaching
reading in early grades.
• Children have had no print to read from in class.

5. Solution
• Learning to read in a familiar language strengthens
a child’s reading abilities which are transferable to
second and third language learning experiences.
• Teaching is effective only if done in a systematic
manner focusing on:
 adequate instructional time
 a familiar language
 age and grade level appropriate texts
 trained teachers and teacher support
 continuous assessment of learners

6. Age and Grade Level Appropriate Text
in a Familiar Language
• developed on the basis of an orthography validated
by the speech community (language board is key)
• reflecting the five components of reading, so as to
build the foundational competences that are
transferable to other languages
• aligning content with the themes and sub-themes of
the TC so that children can draw on their real world
experiences, progressing from known to unknown
• incorporating the value of Oral Literature and News
for mastering listening, speaking, vocabulary,
structures and critical thinking

7. Benefits: Local Language Oral Reading Fluency
(wpm) Baseline March 2013 and Follow-up Oct 2014
(SHRP EGRA data)
0 1.9 0.1 2 0.2
9.2
0.3
6.9
0 0.5 0 0.9 0.1
5.5
0.3
4.4
Baseline Follow-up 2 Baseline Follow-up 2 Baseline Follow-up 2 Baseline Follow-up 2
Ateso Leblango Luganda Run/Rukiga
School Health and Reading Program
Control

8. Benefits: Percentage of Local Language
Comprehension Questions Answered - End of P2
(SHRP EGRA data)

9. 1 1
3 3
0.2
0
2.5
0.4
Ateso Leblango Luganda Run/Rukiga
Local Language English
Benefits: Number of Reading Comprehension
Questions Answered Correctly – End of P2
(SHRP EGRA data)

10. Act to Institutionalize …
• EGR reading methodology, for teachers to change
classroom practices - teach reading from print,
emphasize the phonic approach, conduct
continuous assessment;
• provision of adequate primers (1:1) and teachers’
guides;
• college based training of pre-service teachers in
EGR reading methodology;
• classroom support for reading teachers, involving
head teachers, CCTs, district education officers, and
• EGRA to scale.

11. For the Children of Uganda…
DON’T LOOK AWAY ■
SPEAK OUT ■ INSPIRE ■
GET INVOLVED ■