Primary grade students who read fluently in their mother language are sure to have better learning outcomes. But how easy is it for teachers to teach this foundational skill?
USAID-funded Tunoze Gusoma Activity trained teachers on how to effectively use Kinyarwanda Teacher Guides produced by the Rwanda Basic Education Board. Caritas Dusabemariya of Ecole Primaire Bukane in Musanze District joined 90 other teachers and tutors in this training of trainers.
For three days, teachers were students, learning practical and effective skills for using the teachers’ guides. The training was aligned with the national curricula, but also with the classroom realities. It helped teachers understand how to organize engaging activities that motivate learners and allow students to learn through play and reading corners all while remaining interested in the lesson.
“Playing corners help learners develop critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. They help learners to practice what we teach them,” said Caritas.
With the new teaching skills, and the support provided to all public schools across the country, the Rwandan students achieved impressive results: while the rest of the world was registering learning losses (due to the pandemic and school closures), in Rwanda, we saw the charts go the other way.
Over the years, the percentage of Rwandan students in Primary Two who read fluently in Kinyarwanda has significantly increased. Currently, 57 percent of them can read and understand a simple text in Kinyarwanda. In addition, 68 percent of Rwandan students in Primary Three are performing at or above grade-level standards in Kinyarwanda reading comprehension.
Teachers truly lay the foundation for our learning, and when we help teachers, we’re securing a more successful academic growth for generations of children. USAID’s Tunoze Gusoma Activity works through a series of interventions to strengthen the Government of Rwanda's education system and set the foundation for excellence through the teaching of Kinyarwanda for Rwanda’s youngest learners.
