Improving Early Grade Literacy

Abstract

The language of instruction is considered a basic tenet in the provision of quality education. In Kenya, the politics of language have not always only focused on education but culture and heritage. The role of language in education serves the dual role of defining both cultural sovereignty of the people and facilitating learning. Studies have shown the benefits of using of mother tongue in learning especially in foundational classes. The policy of language in education in Kenya has kept changing since independence, sometimes favoring English and other times mother tongue. Currently the policy directs that the mother tongue or the language of the catchment area be used for instruction in early years. Teachers have not been trained to teach in mother tongue and Kenya is heavily multilingual, with some language groups lacking orthography. At the same time Kenya has implemented early grade reading innovations that have shown improvement in early grade reading outcomes. The scaling up of the primary math and reading initiative dubbed Tusome Early Grade Reading program has brought to light the role of language of instruction and improvement of early grade reading outcomes. The chapter discusses the dilemma for policy makers and researchers in deciding on the language of instruction for a country that is extensively multilingual.