Literacy Learning in Developing Countries: Findings from a Rigorous Review

Literacy learning in developing countries: Findings from a rigorous review

Nag S, Chiat S, Torgerson C, Snowling MJ (2014) Aims of the Review

Broad Aim • To establish the level of evidence available regarding foundation learning and literacy in the diverse languages and writing systems in developing countries

• Within a theoretical framework to synthesize evidence on: – Foundation skills, basic skills and fluency – Inferential understanding – Effective interventions to promote language, literacy and numeracy Theoretical Framework: Literacy Places in which studies have been conducted CONTEXTUAL FACTORS Social stratifiers affecting language & literacy 25 21 20 16 15 11 11 10 10 8

5 5 4 5 3 3

Frequency of occurence (percentages) 1 1 0.4 0

Source: 105 data extractions Countries/regions covered are: Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe Home Language and Literacy Environment: Factors or Attributes Studied or Identified

30 Percentages 20

(Data extracted from 50 studies) Classroom literacy practices

“basic decoding skills and the formal features of texts, sentences, and words were valued over understanding, construction of meaning, and student creativity” de la Piedra, 2006 , Peru

Source: 11 extractions from ethnographic studies Countries: In Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan & Peru CHILD-LEVEL FACTORS Phonological Both child-level awareness Decoding and school-level (PA) factors affect attainments, but the relative impact of the two sources of variability is difficult to Oral Reading quantify given comprehension comprehension the extant research.

Oral Spelling/ vocabulary/ grammar composition Predictors (of individual differences in learning to read and spell)

• Phonological Awareness*

• Symbol knowledge*

• Vocabulary knowledge

* Currently included in large scale assessment systems

Synthesis of evidence from 18 languages

Included studies: Alcock and Ngorosho, 2007 , Kenya, Kiswahili; Alcock et al., 2010 , Tanzania, Kiswahili; Asfaha et al., 2009b , Eritrea, Arabic, Kunama, Saho, Tigre and Tigrinya (L1) – English (L2); Babayigit and Stainthorp, 2010  Northern Cyprus, Turkish; de Sousa et al., 2010 , South Africa, Zulu-English; Elbeheri and Everatt, 2007 , Egypt, Arabic; Kim and Pallante, 2012 , Chile, Spanish; Lee and Wheldall, 2011 , Malaysia, Malay; Mishra and Stainthorp, 2007 , India, Odia-English; Mohamed et al., 2011 , Egypt, Arabic; Nag, 2007 , India, Kannada; Nag et al., 2010 , India, Kannada; Oktay and Aktan, 2002 , Turkey, Turkish; Sen and Blatchford, 2001 , India, Bengali-English; Strasser and Lissi, 2009 , Chile, Spanish; Tahan et al., 2011 , Egypt, Arabic-English; Veii and Everatt, 2005 , Namibia, Herero – English; Winskel and Widjaja, 2007 , Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesian (studies with L2 literacy are in bold). INTERVENTIONS Evidence map for interventions for literacy and

foundation learning in the early grades

Oral Dialogic Supporting Drawing on Systematic language Reading emergent home Phonics inputs  literacy experiences    

Large and Large

consistent

Reciprocal Shared teaching book

not  reading

Large butLarge 

consistent Evidence from

Phonological Story-telling games  

economically developed countries mixed

Small or

Key: Size of evidence from low-income contexts in developing countries:  Very small (<3 studies)  Small (4-6 studies)  Moderate (7-12 studies) Research Gaps

• What are the outcomes of programmes developed to improve reading comprehension? • What are the indicators of potential of small-scale innovations for large- scale rollout? • What specific components of mother-tongue education make them more successful? • What are the components of effective language-for-literacy interventions in multilingual classrooms? • In what ways do social stratifiers and economic factors moderate the effects of interventions? • What are the challenges for home intervention programmes where the language of instruction at school differs from the home language and the broader local-language context? • What components of home environment best support the development of mathematical reasoning and numeracy in the early years? THEORY OF CHANGE MODEL Theory of Change (ToC) Model Details about the Report

• Nag S, Chiat S, Torgerson C, Snowling MJ (2014) Literacy, Foundation Learning and Assessment in Developing Countries: Final Report. Education Rigorous Literature Review. EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London. ISBN: 978-1-907345-65-4

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