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Kindergarten outcomes: pre-literacy skills and building continuity between grades in Ghana

Mon, April 15, 1:30 to 3:00pm, Hyatt Regency, Floor: Bay (Level 1), Seacliff B

Proposal

As countries increasingly implement robust, evidence-based kindergarten reading programs at scale, implementers must challenge themselves to understand how the first grade of primary (materials and pedagogy) corresponds to and builds upon the Kindergarten reading gains. Furthermore, we must not lose sight of complex contextual factors affecting school readiness and skill development. The USAID Partnership for Education: Learning project (Learning), in Ghana, has implemented a robust Kindergarten and Primary 1 (P1) reading program in 100 districts for one school year. To accomplish this, Learning worked with the Ministry of Education in Ghana and the Ghana Education Service (MOE/GES) to develop materials in 11 Ghanaian languages, including daily scripted lessons (ten 30-minute lessons per week), big books, alphabet strips, and flashcards. Training was provided to 30,000 teachers, as well as follow up coaching and in-service professional development for teachers at the school level. This paper will draw upon a large dataset from over 6,000 schools implementing the Learning reading program in Ghana to share pupil learning outcomes in Kindergarten (KG2), examine the degree to which these outcomes lay a foundation for the first year of primary school (P1), and explore the relationships between pupil outcomes and the teaching materials and methods. The ways in which the Kindergarten program supports critical pre-literacy skills, such as language development, phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge will be described along with available outcomes data. Finally, key mediating variables will be discussed.

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