Reading!

 

We often take for granted the blessing of being taught to read in our “mother tongue”, having a strong understanding of the oral language before learning how to read.  Can you imagine being taught to read for the first time in a foreign language? 

 

It was not until 2007 that children in Uganda first had opportunity to learn to read in the language they were most familiar with from home.  Kibaale Community Primary School was fortunate to be given permission to pilot the government’s new primary thematic curriculum which emphasises, among other things,  the use of the children’s mother tongue as the medium of instruction for the first 3 years of school (Primary 1 –3).  As we have introduced this approach in our school, we have seen a huge improvement in the children’s attitudes to learning, behaviour, and reading/writing.  Reading now makes sense!

 

The nursery and kindergarten children have developed a keen interest in books and are being prepared for more formal literacy instruction once they begin Primary 1.

It was challenging to convince teachers that this approach would actually work, and that children would benefit from learning to read in Luganda (the most common local language in our school community) before learning to read in English in later primary classes.

Teachers were also required to make nearly all of their own teaching aids, including class big books, charts, games, etc. in Luganda –- a big job!  Now there are some basic teaching materials and books available to purchase, but many materials still need to be made by the teachers themselves.  They have seen the dramatic improvement in the children’s learning so are motivated to do this extra work now.