Gov’t urged to adopt Print-Rich concept in public schools for kids

Some educationists have called on the government to adopt and implement the Print-Rich concept of teaching and learning for kids, to enhance effective reading and pronunciation of words.

A Print-Rich environment refers to a setting in which young children are afforded diverse opportunities to interact with different forms of print.

This concept is aimed at helping to improve the easy identification of everyday objects.

According to experts, the quick adoption of the Print-Rich concept in all kindergarten and lower primary schools in the country will increase the confidence level in kids.

In a Citi News interview after a tour of some basic schools in the Fanteakwa District of the Eastern Region, the Acting District Director of Education, Ahunu Daniel, called on the government to adopt the Print-Rich teaching and learning concept.

“The gains made so far is tremendous and highly recommendable. Initially after World Vision constructed a number of schools in the district they then came with some new teaching and learning materials to aid the kids in terms of reading, and I must say this has gone a long way to help both the teachers and the kids.”

“You go to classrooms in the district and you find pictures and colourful items posted on the walls of the classrooms and this helps the kids in incidental learning because they are able to put the pieces together when they see the objects or pictures of the items when their names are called out for them to pronounce, so when they go home it becomes very easy for them to communicate with their families,” he added.

“Parents have really commended us for that initiative from World Vision because according to them when they compare the growth of their kids in the Print-Rich environment is far different from that of kids in other schools so this is also another good reason why government must adopt this concept and implement it in all public schools to improve and enhance reading and writing especially in the rural areas”.

Effect on enrolment

At the Osino Presbyterian School, teachers and school kids were seen in a joyous mood in their Print-Rich environment.

A teacher who spoke to Citi News explained how effective the concept has been.

“At first we were really finding it difficult to get the kids to understand what we teach them and get along with the syllabus, but with the introduction of the Print-Rich concept our work has been very easy for us, we do not waste time like we used to because we show them what we teach them”.

The teacher also pleaded with government to adopt the concept and replicate it in other public schools.

“This print rich concept has really transformed the face of teaching and learning in this school. I must say it has given us the teachers some relief because parents are able to clearly see the progress of their young kids and the kind of impact the concept has had on them.”

Mr. Abdul Razak Samadu, the headmaster of Abompe Islamic School, told Citi News that the Print-Rich concept has increased enrollment in the school.

“In 2015, before the World Vision came to support, enrollment here was 189, but now we have more than 300 pupils, which has increased enrollment more than 50 percent.”

Mr. Christopher Tete, the Cluster Manager for World Vision Ghana expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far, and also called for the adoption and further replication by the government in various lower schools to improve the country’s literacy rate.

“In order to effectively roll out these models we organised a training for the teachers in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service where 552 teachers were trained in latest teaching methods which include how to make their teaching environments print-rich, which means the environment should be made in a way that anywhere the child turns he should be able to learn something there in an engaging way.

Mr. Christopher Teye added that, “we believe the literacy rate in the country will improve if this form of teaching and learning with simple, colourful and modern format is replicated in all schools in the country.”

–

By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citinresroom.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t urged to adopt Print-Rich concept in public schools for kids appeared first on Citi Newsroom.

Read Full Story