Reading Buddy: Empowering Children through Shared Learning
Kondwani Precious Mwangala, PhD, Deputy Chief of Party – USDA FFE Programme at World Vision Rwanda
In a small village in Karongi District, at Musongati Primary School, Felicien, a 12-year-old boy with low vision impairment due to albinism, is on a journey of transformation. Clad in a vibrant pink shirt, he now embraces the love for learning, thanks to a unique strategy—Reading Buddy.
Felicien's journey through education has been fraught with challenges. Socially marginalised and subjected to repeated grades, he faced the stigma associated with his condition. However, a beacon of change emerged in the form of his reading buddy and classmate, Elie.
During the dedicated "Drop Everything And Read" time, Felicien and Elie immerse themselves in the world of stories, breaking barriers that once hindered Felicien's academic progress. Felicien's story, marked by isolation and academic struggles, took a turn for the better when Elie stepped in as his reading companion.
"I thank my friend, Elie, my reading buddy. He's been with me every step of the way, visiting me at home to help me read and revise lessons," says Felicien.
Previously, Felicien faced ridicule and exclusion from classmates. Today, armed with improved reading skills, he sits confidently at the front of the class, no longer a target of taunts. His progress is evident, moving from scoring zero to achieving 15 out of 40 in the Kinyarwanda Reading assessment.
“My friend Elie and I read story books together. I believe that this year, I will be promoted to P3 because I can now read. The children in my class now like me. Before, they used to shout when I sat in front, and call me bad names. They no longer do that anymore. My grades have also improved greatly through my friend, Elie’s help,” says Felicien.
This transformation was propelled by the Reading Buddy strategy introduced by the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme. Mrs. Mukamana Yvonne, the teacher, acknowledges a shift in perception regarding inclusion. Initially focused on physical disabilities, the programme broadened its scope to address vision problems, listening difficulties, and mental disabilities.
The Reading Buddy initiative pairs high-performing readers with struggling ones, fostering a collaborative approach to learning. Elie, initially hesitant due to societal prejudices, became Felicien's ally through the promise of special rewards. The impact of this strategy extends beyond individual cases, positively influencing children with slower learning ability across the school.
Teacher Yvonne attests to the significant improvement witnessed in students, especially those with a different learning ability, citing Felicien's progress as an example. The Localized Early Grade Reading Assessment (LEGRA) results reinforce the success of the Reading Buddy programme, as evidenced by the 65,342 Grade 1 to Grade 3 children participating in 140 schools.
“When we started the Reading Buddy competition, children in my class did not want to be paired with Felicien because of his skin and his eyes. However, when the HGSF project promised to give special rewards to reading buddies which include children with disability, Elie, who is the best performer student in my class, agreed to be paired with Felicien who was then the least performer, as he could not read even isolated letters. Now, there is a great improvement as Felicien got 15 out of 40 during the last LEGRA (Localised Early Grade Reading Assessment),” says Teacher Yvonne.
The Home-Grown School Feeding Programme recognises and rewards not only the best-performing reading buddies but also those supporting children with mental disabilities, hearing impairment, and visual impairment. Providing rewards has been an important approach towards inclusion to demonstrate to students that all children can learn to read and that there is no stigma in being a friend to peers with disabilities. The kind of rewards and incentives provided to best performing buddies are scholastic materials like notebooks and pens. Through these incentives, the programme aims to motivate and sustain the Reading Buddy strategy.
As research indicates, learners benefit academically, socially, and emotionally by teaching and learning from each other. The Reading Buddy strategy stands as a testament to the power of shared learning, contributing significantly to the enhancement of reading levels among students.
One of the main challenges that has been faced in the course of implementing this strategy is that there are still fewer learners within the same class with good reading skills, who can confidently pair with those struggling to read as well as those with disabilities. As such, learners from upper classes like P4 are also being encouraged to pair with the P3 learners who may still be struggling to read or have these forms of disabilities. The priority in this case is to find a P4 learner who stays closer to the P3 learner whom they will be paired with, so that they can also support each other at home and after school.
In a world where every child's potential matters, the Reading Buddy strategy exemplifies a pathway to empowerment and inclusivity in education.