By Benjamin Akoto
Manso Akropong, (Ashanti), Nov. 02, GNA-Some learners at the Manso Akropong District Assembly Basic School in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region have lauded the ‘Every Child Can Read’ (ECCR) project implementation for its considerable impacts on teaching and learning.
The ECCR initiative was born out of foundational literacy challenges, identified by one Mr Francis Eghan, a Ghanaian educator through the handwritten teaching notes of his years of teaching experience.
In addressing the challenges, Team Kairos, a South Korean educational research and development team collaborated with Mr Eghan and to design and develop structured Asante Twi-English learning materials with decodable readers and digital learning tools.
The ECCR initiative, being piloted with the basic one leaners of the school, has assessment tools and teacher-controlled digital resources aimed at strengthening the foundational literacy skills of the learners.
According to the learners, the ECCR had made learning more engaging, and thereby improving their reading and writing skills.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Manso Akropong, Miss Antoinette Afriyie Osei, a beneficiary of the project, said that “The initiative learning resources are making lessons exciting and enjoyable”.
She said the ECCR had lessen pressure in learning among the pupils, saying that the interactive nature of the materials often made pupils engrossed in the academic work.
Malvin Success, another learner, noted that the introduction of sounds and pictures had transformed learning experience, making it easier for pupils to understand and remember what they learnt.
In another interview, Mr Eghan explained that the ECCR sought to develop strong reading skills in both Twi and English languages and to provide learners with a solid foundation in academics.
He noted that: “building strong literacy skills at the basic level will equip pupils with the essential reading and writing abilities they need to excel in their education”.
Mr Samuel Opoku, the Headmaster of the School also told the GNA that project had generated considerable interest of the Basic Two and Three learners ‘who are eager to even return to the Basic One class to access the learning materials”.
He said he was hopeful that by the end of the pilot phase of the ECCR, reading and writing abilities of the leaners in both Twi and English languages would improve considerably.
That would provide a strong foundation for extending the gains to other learners in the upper classes.
Madam Cecilia Osei, a teacher said the resources had improved classroom participation, saying that the learners were increasingly eager to contribute to lessons and also take part in learning activities.
“There has been a remarkable improvement in the learner’s engagement and participation”, she attested.
Ms JiEun Janet Song, the Founder of Team Kairos, indicated that the team would explore opportunities to expand the project in the district to benefit more learners and thereby improve foundational literacy in the area.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Benjamin Akoto
Email: [email protected]