OBJECTIVES
We aim to improve reading skills and habits of primary students enrolled in grades 1 to 3. The proposed intervention seeks to foster parents’ engagement in their child’s reading and complement it with an innovative technology-based tool that matches children with level-appropriate books, which meet their reading skills and their topics of interest.
PARTNERS & GRANTS
ACR GCD: USAID, AUSTRALIA AID, WORLD VISION, FUNDACION PROACCESO
DESCRIPTION
Reading skills are an important determinant of education attainment and could influence other long-term outcomes. Research suggests that to develop reading skills, books are more efficient if tailored to the student’s reading level (i.e. within their proximal zone of reading development) and interests. In Mexico, as in every Latin American case, there is not a book-leveling methodology and school curriculum often follows the “one size fits all” rule.
In this project, we aim to improve reading scores of primary students in grades 1 to 3 by fostering parents’ engagement and complementing it with a technology-based innovative tool (MATCH) that will associate students with Spanish-written level-appropriate books that meet their assessed reading skills and main topic of interest. Our proposal focuses on: (i) creating a stock of leveled-books for early grade readers to be accessed through local community libraries; (ii) providing children with access to a user-friendly tool that generates lists of recommend level-appropriate books; (iii) providing information to parents of early grade children about their children’s reading abilities; and (iv) coaching parents on how to scaffold their children’s reading process and detect possible reading difficulties.
We expect that this intervention will have a significant effect improving reading performance (e.g. fluency, comprehension) and promoting good reading habits among targeted low-income early grade readers in Mexico.
MAIN FINDINGS
Installment of libraries and access to books improved participants’ reading skills.
The use of the platform to access recommendations was the first challenge and we had to implement different strategies to motivate people to use it.
The algorithm to provide recommendations was the most important challenge and we have worked constantly to improve it.
The project’s webpage works well, and we are seeking further alliances to improve and keep the project going.
QFD TEAM
María Elena Ortega, Arturo Aguilar, Adriana Ontiveros, Belén Pérez, Juan Arroyo, Oscar Noriega, Ana Cecilia Ahedo and Michelle Infanzón.
