Reading challenges, interventions, and limitations: case study of grade 3 learners in Namibia

• In Event: Using technology and/or data to improve literacy

Abstract

According to the Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ I-III) Reports, Namibia, in comparison with other Southern and Eastern African countries, has consistently been ranked near the bottom on reading achievement scores. Although, there has been consistent improvement since Namibia’s participation in this project in 1998, the SACMEQ III report indicates that the country still falls below the SACMEQ average. In reading, almost 40% of Grade 6 learners only manage to read at the Pre Reading, Emergent Reading, and Basic Reading Levels, which make it challenging to reach the important level of Reading for Meaning. Poor reading performance, especially in the area of reading comprehension, has also been confirmed through the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) of 984 learners in Grades 2, 3, and 4 (Gains & Parkes, 2012).
In an attempt to support Namibia’s reading dilemma, Finland educators extended an invitation to examine an approach that addressed reading challenges in Finland. Based on scientific evidence from a longitudinal study of Finnish children at risk for dyslexia, Finland developed a computer intervention called GraphoGame™. GraphoGame™ is a child friendly computer educational game that through a series of leveled activities the game allows the child to construct letter sounds into words. A significant aspect of the game is that it incorporates a dynamic element of adapting to the child’s own level of ability and sets further levels in accordance with this ability. Focusing on the need for improved literacy rates, the University of Namibia (UNAM) in collaboration with three other African countries, became involved with Finland’s Grapholearn project. The focus of the project is to offer teacher educators the latest scientific knowledge and best practices on teaching and learning to read.
Teacher educators in Namibia involved in the Grapholearn project carried out a case study involving GraphoGame™ as a reading intervention strategy. GraphoGame™ was developed in Afrikaans to align with the Grade 1 and 2 National reading curriculum. Afrikaans is one of Namibia’s eleven official languages. The purpose of this study was to determine the use of GraphoGame’s™ effectiveness on specific reading performance indicators.
The case study involved nine Grade 3 learners (six males, three females) from four schools in the suburb of Windhoek, Namibia. Teachers identified the participants as learners who displayed reading difficulties in the classroom. In a pre test the selected learners completed six standardized assessments that align with predictors of reading performance. These included phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid automatized naming, short-term memory, reading and spelling. A post assessment was conducted after learners completed 300 minutes (5 hours) of supervised sessions playing GraphoGameAfrikaans™.
The pre-test results showed that overall the learners had some challenges in the reading components included in the assessments. On average, after the GraphogameAfrikaans® intervention, the learners showed an overall improvement in the assessed areas. The strongest area of improvement was word reading where scores on average improved from 34% to 58% from a list of twenty words.
This case study show promise for the use of GraphoGame™ as an intervention for children with reading difficulties in early grades. In Namibian classes where there are large numbers of learners, this is a tool that teachers can use as part of an individual intervention plan because the child can work individually on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone for 20-minute sessions. The game has the potential to help with letter sounds, word recognition, and word building skills. Further studies are necessary to show how these improved skills will contribute to the development of text reading, fluency, and comprehension.

Authors

• Pamela Jennifer February, University of Namibia

• Juanita Moller, University of Namibia