5 Best Practices To Support Literacy For Kids In Africa

While it is easy to assume that literacy only pertains to reading, it is much more than that. Literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills learners need to access, understand, analyze and evaluate information, make meaning, express thoughts, and emotions, present ideas and opinions, interact with others, and participate in activities at school and in their lives beyond school.?More than that, literacy can help power a child’s imagination, help them understand the vast and ever-changing world around them, and most importantly, form the basis of a brighter future. Literate parents are more likely to send their kids to school and keep them happy and healthy. Literate people are able to better access further education and employment opportunities; and collectively, literate societies are better equipped to meet development challenges.

Of all regions, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of education exclusion.?Over one-fifth of children between the ages of about 6 and 11 are out of school, followed by one-third of youth between the ages of about 12 and 14.?Conventional education systems are struggling to deliver the knowledge, skills, and values needed to create a better future for all. The pandemic also unveiled learning gaps that have existed for years, because many of those who were in school were not really learning correctly.

We know that literacy rates are intrinsically linked to breaking cycles of poverty, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. But solving the learning crisis is not something that can happen overnight;?it takes time, effort, and resources in order for change to happen. Every contribution we make can help to lessen the impact and eventually break the cycle, one day at a time.?

1. Start early! Read with newborns and toddlers.

If parents are not equipped or aware of the ways that they can support their kids' development in these critical years of life, then we are already setting up the next generation for failure from the very start. Early reading experiences, opportunities to build vocabulary, and literacy-rich environments are the best ways to support the development of pre-reading and cognitive skills that ensure children are prepared for success in school and life.

2. Support children who are learning two languages.?

Why? Because kids learn best when they are engaged and can understand. And learning in their first language is the best way to get kids to succeed in school! Research shows that kids who learn in their mother tongue and language of instruction have higher learning outcomes than those who don't. At Ubongo, we adapt and localize our content in the various languages spoken across Africa to make learning meaningful and accessible to all.

3. Get parents and caregivers involved.

Numerous research on our edutainment programs has shown a positive correlation between improved learning outcomes for kids and caregiver engagement. Through feedback we have received from caregivers, we have learned that they are more receptive to information and advice about their child's development when it's delivered by a teacher. And so, for Season 4 of Akili and Me, we introduced a new character for caregivers - Teacher Paulina - a trusted educator who guides them through what their kids are going to learn in each episode.

4. Co-create content with kids.

At Ubongo, we help kids find a love of learning through their own stories, and the inspiration to use that learning to change their lives and the lives of others. From the beginning of Ubongo, we’ve implemented a kid-centered approach to research and design. Kids are involved in every stage of production, from the initial program development to content creation and adaptation.

5. Ensure quality, equitable and inclusive education for all.

The 2022 Literacy Day theme:?Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces?serves as an opportunity for all of us to rethink the fundamental importance of literacy and learning spaces to build resilience and ensure quality, equitable, and inclusive education for all. In the wake of a challenge as severe as a worldwide pandemic, we are presented with the opportunity to shape a new path forward. We can’t let this opportunity to reimagine literacy education pass us by in a rush to return to a comfortable but no longer-appropriate “normal.” The normal we left pre-pandemic was a normal that left far too many kids at the margins. At Ubongo, we take pride in the fact that we have created a kid-centered learning platform that kids and families across Africa and the African diaspora trust and love.?