Room to Read Blog

In Zambia, Room to Read Literacy Materials Inspire a Mother to Action

Literacy isn’t just about reading words on a page. The ability to read or write—even at a basic level—unlocks a world of knowledge and understanding completely inaccessible without those skills. Annie Ngombo knows this well, having learned to read and write fairly recently, through an adult education series held by the University of Zambia.

Ms. Ngombo lives in a shanty town in the Kafue distruct with her two young sons, both of whom attend primary school nearby. The school is one of the first in Zambia to receive support from Room to Read’s Reading and Writing Instruction program, but before a few months ago, Ms. Ngombo hadn’t thought much about it.

One day, she came home to overhear her 2^nd grade son, Kaimbo, reading out loud to himself from a newspaper. Slowly and clearly, he was digesting the text word-by-word. Surprised by his advanced skills, Ms. Ngombo asked Kaimbo to read another section from the paper, and was pleasantly surprised when he accomplished the task with ease and near-perfect accuracy.

Kaimbo’s remarkable progress made Ms. Ngombo wank to know more about her son’s schooling, so she decided to meet with his teacher. At school, she learned that Kaimbo’s teacher had received training and materials from Room to Read, including ongoing weekly support from a literacy facilitator. The new Cinyanja-language lessons had been paying off, and many of the students were making great progress.

Having witnessed the impact of our Reading and Writing Instruction program with her own eyes, Ms. Ngombo decided to visit the local Room to Read office to learn more. There, she saw a copy of the workbooks that had been provided to students, which gave her an idea. As one of her neighborhood’s few literate women, she would adapt the materials that helped turn her son into such a confident reader into lessons for adults.

Ms. Ngombo’s adult literacy class started small, with just one 34-year-old pupil who had never learned to read or write. After a short time, the woman, who was only three quarters of the way through her first workbook, was able to read simple texts with ease.

Encouraged by this early success, Ms. Ngombo expanded her course to include ten other women in her community. Using a copy of Room to Read’s three early reader workbooks in Cinyanja, she develops regular lessons for the women, who all look forward to the day they can read independently and send letters to family. Just like Kaimbo and his classmates, Ms. Ngombo’s students are already making great progress.

Learn more about our work in Zambia.

Guest Blog: A New Chapter for the Tamil Community in Sri Lanka's Central Province

This is a guest post by Jen Spinner, Program Reporting Associate, who shares her reflections from a recent trip to visit Room to Read's work.

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Upon landing in Sri Lanka, one can immediately sense the impact and devastation caused by the country’s recent civil war. While the conflict officially ended three years ago, 300,000 Sri Lankans are still displaced and many communities still lack access to basic infrastructure.

Lying in the middle of the Central Province, Hatton is one of Sri Lanka’s largest tea production regions and home to one of the country’s largest Tamil populations, many of whom work upwards of 14 hours a day on tea plantations. Schools in this area fight for government assistance, often going months or years without access to new textbooks and learning materials.

It is within this reality that Room to Read’s Tamil Literacy and Girls’ Education programs operate, working with families and communities that have been largely forgotten by the country’s reconstruction efforts. As I moved from classroom to classroom and home to home, I heard girls we work with share stories of the personal impact their country’s war had on their lives, weeping for lost relatives and friends. But juxtaposed upon this immense sadness is a palpable sense of determination to succeed in school and provide for their remaining family.

One of my last stops in Hatton was a school at the top of the region’s highest peak that serves 1^st to 12^th grade students. Driving past homes which lacked access to electricity and running water, the obstacles these students face each day simply getting to school became obvious. As we stepped into the school’s main courtyard, students clamored to show our team their favorite books and literacy exercises, growing more excited which each new activity. In Sri Lanka, Room to Read is the only organization ever to provide an early grade literacy program in the Tamil language, so both students and teachers are extremely proud. As we prepared to leave school for the day, Sinthuja, a 10^th grader, invited our team to her home to meet her mother and see her “homework wall.”  During the trek from school, my heart sank at the realization that Sinthuja makes this trip every day, sometimes leaving school after dark to take the forested trail alone.

Sinthuja’s mother is a tea picker, spending 15-16 hours each day in the fields (despite terrible arthritis) to support her six children. Even with such an incredibly demanding schedule, Sinthuja’s mother comes home every night and asks about her daughter's day at school, without exception.  

Upon arriving at Sinthuja’s home, I was immediately drawn to a curtained corner at the far right of the 12x15 structure. This was the only part of the one room-house that was partitioned in any way for privacy from the home’s seven occupants. When I asked Sinthuja’s mother about the space, she explained that behind the curtain is her daughter’s study area/home library, meant to provide some reprieve from the distraction of the busy house. Despite its small size, this space really impacted me, a physical manifestation of the entire family’s commitment to Sinthuja’s education.

And it’s not just Sinthuja’s family who is benefitting from her staying in school. Her community, which sits on the outskirts of Hatton's city center, is extremely remote, and the only means of transportation for its residents is an ever-changing and unreliable bus system. Given the poor quality of local roadways, the routes themselves change frequently, leaving residents with a major challenge when they need to get to work.

As the only member of her village who can read Tamil, Sinthuja now wakes up before dawn to go outside and read the directions and route information to her friends and family. While this may seem like a small act, her efforts save neighbors hours each day, allowing them to arrive on time to work and relieving the extra stress that used to precede a 16-hour day.

“It’s a miracle,” says Sinthuja’s mother, as she describes the vital role that education allowed her daughter to play within the village. Neglected by so many institutions and organizations, Sinthuja and her peers now have hope—a means to a brighter future than the labor cycles they were born into.

Join Room to Read in celebrating International Literacy Day throughout the month of September. For each action you take, $1 will be donated to support our work.  Learn more at www.roomtoread.org/ILD2012.

Preschool Teacher in Bangladesh Goes the Extra Mile to Help Her Students Succeed

Gorachora Government Primary School is one of thirty schools to have been selected in 2011 for the launch of our Reading and Writing Instruction program in Bangladesh. After a year of research, material development and program design, our team began to work with first grade teachers from all thirty schools—providing professional development, updated materials and hands-on support.

This year, as we continue to refine our first grade curriculum, the program has expanded to include the second grade classrooms at the same thirty schools. Already, many teachers have started to see the positive impact of their new teaching methods and materials, and they are not the only ones to have noticed.

Ms. Anwara Begun is the preschool teacher for Gorachora Primary. A fairly new endeavor in Bangladesh, preschool has been implemented by the government for all primary schools in recent years. In order to get a sense of what her students have in store for them next year, Ms. Begun decided to visit the first grade classroom and sit in on a few lessons with the Bengla Language teacher.

After experiencing the Room to Read lessons firsthand, Ms. Anwara decided to adopt some of the concepts for her own classroom. She closely observed the pre-writing and pre-reading exercises that the Bengla Language teacher had learned from Room to Read. Designed to help children develop fine motor skills, an awareness of print and book-handling skills, these exercises are perfect for a preschool classroom, and will prepare her students well for the first grade curriculum.

In order to teach these new concepts effectively, Ms. Anwara even replicated some of the materials on her own. She spoke with the Room to Read Field Facilitator assigned to her school and the first grade teacher, training herself on the updated teaching methods for literacy skills.

After employing some of what she’s learned in the classroom, Ms. Anwara is confident that this year’s batch of preschoolers will enter first grade better prepared than those that came before them. And with a teacher as dedicated to her students as Ms. Anwara, we don't doubt it.

Learn more about our work in Bangladesh.

In Zambia, a Love of Learning Earns One Young Reader a New Nickname

Mvekero—it means “sound” in Chinyanja, one of Zambia’s many languages.

These days, Mvekero has become a popular word throughout the first grade classrooms of Mungu Basic School, where teachers, as part of their participation in Room to Read’s Reading & Writing Instruction program, are beginning to rethink the way they present foundational literacy concepts to their students—breaking down words into letters and sounds first. The new technique has already shown impressive results for several students, including Cascius, whose reading skills are among the best in his class.

Cascius and his family live in one of the nearby feeder villages for Mungu Basic, where 78 percent of families live in poverty. His parents, Humphrey and Astridah, are visibly proud of their son’s progress in school, and proudly mention to our team that he was one of six children chosen to represent his school at the zone literacy competition.

Beyond the official recognition though, Astridah and Humphrey say their son’s progress is most visible at home—where he often makes reference to the concepts he has learned in school.

“He’s conscious of how I pronounce my words and shows off his learning,” says Astridah, with a smile. “Almost every day, he corrects me either with the initial sound or the final sound of a word I say, and explains why.”

Based on the progress they have seen in their son’s reading ability, Cascius's parents say they are extremely pleased with the program now underway at Mungu Basic. Their other son, now in the third grade, has consistently struggled with reading and writing, but he too has seen improvement through regular practice with his younger brother. 

Cascius’s love of reading and writing has even earned him a nickname around the house, says his mother.  “We all fondly call him Mvekero now!”

Learn more about our work in Zambia.

Students in Sri Lanka Make Headway by Taking Literacy Outside the Classroom

“When I was assigned to facilitate the pilot literacy programs in Wilgamuwa, I was little uneasy,” says Uppal Nandasiri, a senior teacher who has joined Room to Read’s Reading and Writing Instruction program in Sri Lanka as a field facilitator. “Literacy is a complex issue.”

When the program began, says Mr. Nandasiri, “less than 50 percent of children passed their O levels and about 22 percent failed in Sinhalese, which is their mother tongue.”

Reading and Writing Instruction in Sri Lanka began with a pilot group of 21 schools in Wilgamuwa. “The program made children think and use their imaginations,” says Mr. Nandasiri. “The previous curriculum was monotonous for young children who naturally have a short attention span.”

A short distance away, a group of primary school children sit very animatedly under the shade of a tree with their teacher, engrossed in the current lesson. One girl hops around like a rabbit using her fingers as ears. Another boy is down on all fours, roaring loudly. The rest of the class and the teacher split into laughter.

“We are acting out a lesson and each child is playing the part of an animal,” says the teacher, Sanjivini Jayathunga. With a giggle, eight-year-old Indica shares her part: “I am a puppy because I love dogs.” Her laughter, she says, was prompted by her “scene partner”, Raja, who forgot he was supposed to be a bear, roaring like a lion instead.

Sanjivini has been teaching for five years now and says the new methodology our program has taught her is much more engaging. “This is definitely is an easier way to get your students to learn and respond to the lesson.”

And it’s not just fun that makes the program worthwhile, she says. “Before we started this program, many of my students read with great difficulty...now almost every child here is an independent reader.” As if to prove her point, the teacher invites our team to call on any student in the class and have him or her read a passage. Sarath, an eager student whose hand went up immediately, does the honors.

He starts reading from a book called ‘Kuru Kuraga’ (Rumbling Tummy) his little finger tracing each word slowly.  The class is all ears and the teacher’s smile reflects her pride. As the story draws to a close, Sarath shares his view of the story’s moral, proving that his comprehension skills are on par with his reading.

“Standard school curriculums are usually a ‘one-fit-for-all’ module, and don’t take into consideration the difference in rural and urban schools” explains Mr. Nandasiri. “But this module is tuned to the needs of the children, and is supported by the storybooks, teaching aids and workbooks that are provided.”

Indica’s mother Sita, who has come to collect her from school, couldn’t agree more. “I am proud of Indica’s reading skills,” she says. “She is enjoying school like never before and I am very happy that the school is using methods that the children seem to enjoy.”

Learn more about our work in Sri Lanka.

New School of Thought Helps Promote Literacy in Nepal's Classrooms

The moment she enters her first grade classroom, Amrita Thapa heads straight for the supply cabinet tucked away in the corner. She shuffles through the myriad of educational materials stored there, and arranges a few of them in a neat pile, ready to begin the day’s lesson.

“What is this letter?” she says, holding up the first card.

The students recognize the consonant immediately. “Ka,” they respond excitedly in unison. Increasing the degree of difficulty, Ms. Thapa pulls two other cards from the pile, and holds them up with the first letter.

“What is this word?” she asks with a smile.

“Ka, Ma, La,” the students respond in chorus, pronouncing the letters one at a time. And then—after a brief pause—“Kamala!”

“What is a Kamala?” challenges Ms. Thapa.

“Kamala is a flower!” one student chimes in; “I have seen it!” says another. “It was in the pond, and very big,” adds the first grader, stretching out her hands for effect.

At this point, the students are instructed to write down the spelling of their new word—Kamala—in their workbooks, and the room goes silent, except for the furious rustling of paper and pencils.

This is how Ms. Thapa’s class begins each day, ever since she started participating in Room to Read’s Reading & Writing Instruction program. 

“Back when I started teaching,” she says, “teachers generally sped through the course. The lessons were not enjoyable for the students and most had trouble catching up. We lacked the essential resources to make learning enjoyable.”

In addition to changing her approach to teaching, Ms. Thapa says the program has helped her—and others at Shree Jwalamukhi Lower Secondary School—focus more on outcomes. Before the training from Room to Read, she says, “rarely was the question asked: Were the students learning?”

As it turned out, many were not. When Room to Read began its intervention at Shree Jwalamukhi, located in Nepal’s Dhading district, most first grade students were struggling to keep up with the curriculum, and many were reading below grade level. Studies of the surrounding area confirmed that the problem was widespread.

Through in-service training, material development and the assistance of on-site literacy facilitators, Shree Jwalamukhi is steadily adding more innovative teaching methods to its literacy curriculum. “We have learned to center our teaching around the students and not the other way around,” says Ms. Thapa. “With resources like the word charts and alphabet cards, the lessons have become more interactive and fun for the students.”

And she is already seeing results. “Students are finding it easier to associate letters with their respective sounds and vice versa,” she says. “After every lesson, I devise a game, a song or a story to reinforce it—their knowledge builds with each passing day!”

Reflecting on her experience so far, Ms. Thapa says, “my favorite part of the program is the creative freedom it gives to teachers. It inspires me to give my very best.”

Watch a video about our Reading & Writing Instruction program, or learn more about our work in Nepal.

Why I'm Lucky: Guest Blog by Eight-Year-Old Jazmin Zage

Transcription: My name is Jazmin Annabelle Aiko Zage. I am 8 years old. I am American and live in Singapore. On November 3rd, 2011 I went to Cambodia with my family to visit schools and libraries that were built by Room to Read. When I visited a school I realized how lucky I was. I learned that most schools don't have libraries or many books. It made me think of my huge library at the Singapore American School. I thought I was very lucky that my mom and dad have enough money to send me to such a good school.

I noticed that the kids at the school were very happy even though they didn't have much. The children were very friendly. I got to go into a classroom and participate in their writing lesson. One of the students taught me how to write Cambodian words.

I think Room to Read has really helped these Cambodian children. But there are still so many children to help.

Learn more about our Students Helping Students program, or how you can visit our work in person.

In Honor of World Teachers' Day: Celebrating One Teacher's Success Motivating Young Readers in Laos

World Teachers' Day, celebrated each year on October 5, was established by UNESCO in 1994 to recognize the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development.

In honor of World Teachers' Day today, we bring you the story of one teacher in Laos dedicated to ensuring her students gain the literacy skills necessary to succeed in the classroom and beyond. She is one of hundreds of teachers participating in our Literacy Instruction program across Asia and Southern Africa, all of whom we celebrate today.

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In many cases, our Literacy Instruction program finds teachers a little nervous to break away from established teaching methods and experiment with something new—especially given the existing academic targets they are already working towards for the year. There are exceptions to every rule however, and Phoukham Bounthavy is one of them.

Ms. Bounthavy is a teacher at Sengsavang Complete Primary School in an urban village of northwest Laos, and since her very first Room to Read training session has been enthusiastic about participating in the program.

Having joined during the program’s pilot phase, Ms. Bounthavy was convinced right away that introducing new teaching methods into her classroom would help improve her students’ budding literacy skills.

After her training, Ms. Bounthavy returned to school, armed with colorful posters, charts, flash cards and books to help turn her classroom into a more effective learning environment. “The children took to the new curriculum like ducks to water,” she says with newfound confidence, noting that in particular the activity-based teaching kept her students engaged throughout the duration of the lesson—their hands flying in the air to answer questions.

“For me, the most important thing is that the children learn,” she told our staff when they visited her classroom.

Always eager to improve, she prodded them, “if you find that I’m not doing something correctly, please let me know—I’m not afraid of criticism.”

It wasn’t long before her willingness to try new things began paying dividends. Almost without exception, her students became more confident in their mastery of the alphabet, and seemed to enjoy their lessons more. At the end of the year when the time for student evaluations came, her class of young readers was ranked the best in the school.

“I am very happy that I was included in the Literacy Pilot program” says Ms. Bounthavy. “I have become a better instructor and now have more confidence that my students understand the lessons.”

Learn more about our Literacy Instruction program and about our work in Laos.

Six Short Weeks: Room to Read’s First Ever (Mini) Film Festival!

Over the past year, documentary filmmakers James Connolly and Rachelle Escaravage visited Room to Read projects throughout Asia. They met the children and communities that are benefitting from our programs, and recorded their stories on film.

Now those stories are the subject of six mini-documentaries, each focusing on one aspect of Room to Read’s work promoting literacy and gender equality in education. Over the next six weeks, we’ll be releasing those videos one at a time—providing you with a closer look at our programs than ever before.

The videos will take you to India, Laos, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, inside the libraries, homes, classrooms and communities of the children we serve. So grab some popcorn, press play and enjoy the show!

 Watch the videos on our website.

Fun with Phonics at Nakatete Basic School in Zambia

As Ms. Sharon Chanda sings instructions to her class, her first grade students run to the mat at the front of the room to join her, one by one.  

It starts as a few students from the table underneath the mtondo (mango) sign scramble to the front of the room. They are soon joined by their classmates who sit below the dangling nanazi (pineapple). As they settle, they don’t miss a beat in the call and response routine.

As Ms. Chanda calls out in Chinyanja, the language of instruction for these first graders in Zambia, the students sing back a melodic reply. The exercise is one of many teaching methods Ms. Chanda learned through the in-service training she received as part of Room to Read's Literacy Instruction program. “The students have always been eager to learn,” she shares, “but the Literacy Instruction program has inspired them to be more curious in their studies.” 

While the first graders wait patiently on the mat, their fingers dance in anticipation of the phonics game they’ve gathered to play.  She hands out letter cards and has students match the letters to the sounds on the wall.  Ms. Chanda believes this interactive approach is working. “I have never seen my students have so much fun while in class", she shares. "Reading and learning are no longer droning activity for them—it’s fun.”

As the phonics game comes to an end, select students report to Ms. Chanda to deliver the next exercise back to their respective tables.  

What could result in chaos is pure energetic order, as the students dutifully file back to their assigned tables, all led by Ms. Chanda’s signing.  

Once reunitied, the teams work together to match the phonics in pairs with their corresponding vowel sounds—speaking each pair aloud to check their answers.  “Ba, be, bi, bo, bu,” they chant together, grinning from ear-to-ear.

“The crux of teaching with the new methods is that we ensure that the students are having fun while learning," says Ms. Chanda. "It emphasizes creativity and encourages both the teachers and the students to learn in a different, yet fun-filled, way.” Maureen Simunchembu—Room to Read’s Literacy expert in Zambia—agrees, adding that the program, “offers a great opportunity for children to learn to read and write, and inspires them to strive for more.” 

At Nakatete Basic School, the Literacy Instruction program “has definitely inspired the students, since it complements the prescribed course content perfectly," says Ms. Chanda.  A quick observation of her classroom shows that this is clearly the case.

Learn more about our work in Zambia and about our Literacy Intruction program.

 

Don't forget to help us spread the word this month about our campaigns for literacy!

Join our tweet campaign! Each RT will donate $1 to our literacy programs in Asia and Africa (up to $30,000) thanks to Random House, Inc. Click to Tweet!

 

Throughout September, all donations to our library programs will be matched up to $40,000 thanks to our partner, Better World Books. Click to donate.