Child listening to radio. Photo courtesy of Redearth

Boosting reading skills through audio CPD

Uganda

We gave Redearth £41,149 to develop a programme of continuing professional development for teachers, through radio programmes and podcasts. 

The project reached teachers and pupils in 98 schools, resulting in a significant boost to reading skills. 

Audio CDs and solar radio sets were used as teaching aids, especially to share advice on teaching reading. Teachers used the provided radio sets not only for CPD but also for classroom instruction and listening to news broadcasts to enhance critical thinking skills. In addition, pupils listened to educational programmes on the radios during breaks, supporting broader knowledge and current affairs understanding. 

In all 962 teachers participated in the training, which emphasized child-friendly teaching methods such as learning through play, creating colourful and interactive classrooms, and using positive reinforcement instead of physical discipline. The content covered reading, phonics, comprehension, health and safety, and numeracy. These sessions were supplemented by support visits for training, demonstration lessons, coaching and feedback. Collaborative listening to the sessions and peer support tailored to teachers’ specific needs were key aspects too. 

Through the project, Redearth reached an estimated 35,828 primary children including 17,866 girls; as well as an additional 10,000 indirect beneficiaries, including 582 non-project teachers and 9,000 radio listeners. They have interest from the Ministry of Education and Sports to integrate the programme into national initiatives. 

Impact

Significant improvements in aspects of reading, including comprehension are recorded in project schools in the Masindi district, compared to control schools. They expect that maths levels will also rise when the resources on this subject are used more widely. Teachers learned to adapt their methods to address learning requirements of students, including those with disabilities and from different social backgrounds.  

“They have taught me much that I didn’t know. In the case of reading, we used to teach it but not in the proper way. We just taught reading from alphabets but later on I learnt sounds from listening to the audio and it taught me how to read, to speak to the children and even to teach them how to read. It has helped my children to begin learning how to read and they are actually reading.” – Teacher Grace Mihembero. 

Over 80% of the teachers in the project shared similar experiences to teacher Grace, reporting the project positively impacted their professional development. 

“This project helped me grasp the concepts of phonics, how to teach sounds, and how to blend letters to form words. Now, I am able to effectively teach reading, and my students thoroughly enjoy my lessons… I never missed any radio talkshow because all the discussions were highly informative.” – Teacher Nyankana Mary 

Sustainability

  • Solar-powered radios provided to schools minimised operational costs and boosted sustainability.
  • Recorded audio sessions are stored for ongoing use.