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Empowering communities and future advocates to read using digital tools

Mon, March 11, 6:30 to 8:00pm, Hyatt Regency Miami, Floor: Third Level, Johnson 2

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The role of education as a catalyst for change cannot be overstated. In today's fast-paced digital era, the adoption of technology in education has emerged as a promising pathway to transform learning outcomes and empower students.

Reading plays a crucial role in an individual's life as it serves as a gateway to knowledge, critical thinking, and empowerment. Drawing inspiration from Paulo Freire's pedagogy of the oppressed, we recognize that reading is not merely a passive act but an active engagement that enables individuals to critically analyze and question the world around them. By developing reading habits, individuals become conscious of their own reality, gaining the tools to challenge oppressive systems and advocate for change within their society. Reading equips individuals with the ability to decipher complex information, discern multiple perspectives, and engage in informed dialogue. It empowers them to articulate their thoughts, voice their opinions, and contribute meaningfully to their community. Through the transformative power of reading, individuals can emerge as agents of change, actively seeking justice, equality, and liberation for themselves and their society.

And yet, the world is currently facing an unprecedented learning crisis impacting children’s ability to read. According to UNICEF (2022), only “over a third of 10-year-olds globally are estimated to be able to read and understand a simple written story.” Donors and ministries of education are of course looking at systems strengthening, remediation, and a variety of other interventions to address this crisis. However, schools are not the only factor in a student’s performance. As James Coleman has observed, “schools account for only a small fraction of differences in pupil achievement,” after taking into account students’ socioeconomic backgrounds (p. 21). Coleman found that family background factors such as parents’ level of educational attainment as well as the amount of reading materials and types of reading practices in the home had far more predictive power than any school characteristics” (Kraft, & Monti-Nussbaum, 2017). This finding emphasizes the importance of parent engagement in their children’s education and specifically reading as it is the gateway to learning. There are many studies that show the positive effects of parental involvement in the children’s learning and the success in their educational path (Barnard 2004; Cheung and Pomerantz 2012; Fan and Chen 2001; Houtenville and Conway 2008; Todd and Wolpin 2007).

Many studies have explored the challenges that parents face, particularly disadvantaged ones, to read with their children or support their children’s reading habits. One such study was conducted by two presenting organizations in this panel in Kenya with 209 parents and over 1,000 grade 3 students; the researchers implemented a digital reading program and interviewed the parents to learn more about their motivators and barriers. They found several barriers mentioned by parents including lack of reading material (47.4%), lack of time (43.5%), low ability to read English (10%) and lack of confidence to read to children (Nicolai, Khan, Kamninga, and Seluget, 2022).

The gap between advantaged and disadvantaged households is also highlighted extensively in studies. “Among other things, advantaged parents spend more time on educational activities with their children (Guryan, Hurst, and Kearney 2008; Kalil, Ryan, and Corey 2012) and produce more cognitively stimulating home learning environments (Bradley et al. 2001; Harris, Terrel, and Allen 1999). In addition, the gap in the amount of time that advantaged and disadvantaged parents spend with their children overall and in educationally relevant activities has widened over the last twenty years because the rate at which highly educated mothers have increased time with their children has outpaced the rate of less educated mothers (Altintas 2012; Ramey and Ramey 2010; Hurst 2010)” (Mayer, Kalil, Oreopoulos & Gallegos, 2018). In this 2018 study by Mayer et al., additional challenges faced by parents are mentioned, such as: lack of literacy and digital literacy skills, lack of information about the importance of parental support to children, especially when it comes to reading, as well as the tendency to “discount” or deprioritize the future in the face of more immediate pressing needs. “Disadvantaged parents face a host of stressors such as income instability, child care problems, or transportation issues that place cognitive and emotional demands on their attention in the present and leave little energy for thinking about the future (Spears 2011; Mani et al. 2013; Gennetian and Shafir 2015).” (Mayer, Kalil, Oreopoulos & Gallegos, 2018).

This panel will delve into the transformative power of reading and digital reading programs across different parts of the world, focusing on three key dimensions: access, engagement, and building a culture of home reading through parental engagement and capacity building. Firstly, by providing access to books and educational materials, these programs have expanded the reach of education to marginalized communities, where physical libraries are scarce. We will explore the implications of increased access and how it contributes to parents' involvement in their children’s learning.

Secondly, digital reading programs have demonstrated a remarkable ability to engage students, fostering a love for reading and creating interactive learning experiences. Through good quality digital content and engaging activities, the programs captivate young learners, making education more enjoyable and participatory. We will showcase models of how to engage and motivate children through digital reading programs.

Furthermore, an essential component of these digital reading programs is the focus on parent engagement and capacity building. Recognizing the influential role of parents in shaping a child's educational journey, these programs provide resources and support to parents, empowering them to actively participate in their child's reading development. We will discuss the strategies employed to enhance parent-child interactions around reading, promote a reading culture at home, and build parents' confidence in supporting their child's literacy skills.

To conclude, this panel will emphasize the transformative power of digital reading programs across different parts of the world and their role in leveraging education as a catalyst for change. By examining the dimensions of access, engagement, and parent engagement, it will highlight the potential of technology-driven interventions to cultivate reading habits within the home, and drive positive transformations in the lives of students, families, and communities.

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