Reading Has Not Been Fundamental

Something happened with the instruction of children in Northern Nigeria.  Wait, this is a mis-statement, better nothing is happening with the instruction of children in the North.  They are not being taught to read.  Through this project, the Early Grades Reading Assessment (EGRA) was administered to about  2, 000 Grade 4 pupils.  The test was originally administered last spring in English, the official language of the nation. The results were dismal.  Students were tested again in their mother-tongue-Hausa in the fall.

Last week, I participated in a workshop where the results of the mother-tongue language testing were reported along with planning the way forward. About 70% of the students could not read in their first language.  I suppose the science of reading instruction has changed over the years, but it appears that many primary school teachers don’t have the training needed to teach students how to develop this fundamental skill. Even though instruction during the first three years is in Hausa, traditional methods of instruction have not given kids basic literacy skills. They should be able to read in Hausa in Grade 1. Memorizing items from the blackboard and repeating text does not produce independent readers.

So what’s next? A big intervention by USAID and other international partners? Yes, but what will the government do to address this serious deficiency? State education officials who attended the two-day workshop were dismayed at the results and seemed focused on changing the situation, first by making parents aware of some of the things they can do to support good reading habits and then through rigorous teacher training.


President Jonathan promoted a movement—Bring Back the Book during the national elections.  Will the effort to teach reading and to get Nigeria youth to read be a well supported long termed focus or….