The most important characteristics of reading materials in any language are that:( 1) the content is interesting,( 2) the language is clear and understandable,( 3) illustrations are related to the text and appropriate to the local culture, and( 4) the materials are graded from very short and simple( pre-primary and Grade 1) to longer and more complex as students move into upper primary grades and beyond. 9
Stage 1
MT Audience: New readers
Purpose: Learn that written text communicates meaning; gain confidence in reading
Length / content: Short and simple, about familiar topics
Stages of reading materials for successful MTB MLE 9 Stage 2
MT Audience: Readers who have gained basic reading skills
Purpose: Build fluency; begin to use reading to learn.
Length / content: Longer, about local culture and new topics
Stage 3
2 nd language( L2) Audience: Readers who are ready to read in a new language
Purpose: Use what we have learned to about reading in the MT to begin reading the L2.
Length / Content: Same as Stage 1
Stage 4
MT and / or L2 Audience: Fluent readers in both MT and L2
Purpose: Read to learn and for enjoyment
Length / content: No specific length. Variety of topics from the MT culture and the world outside the community.
In addition to the benefits these materials provide for students in each MTB MLE programme, books in many languages that present the diversity of a nation’ s cultures and histories adds to the richness of the national heritage.
Teacher recruitment and training. Good education programmes require good teachers. Students cannot become successful learners if their teachers are not motivated and / or do not receive the training and ongoing support they need to be effective. And of course students cannot do well in school if their teacher does not speak or understand their language.
One of the challenges faced by many MTB MLE programmes is that there are too few MT speakers with formal teaching credentials. One reason for the lack of qualified MT teachers is that many ethnic minority children are not able to use their MT for learning in school. As a result, many of them do poorly in the formal education system and lacked the qualifications needed to gain acceptance to teacher training institutions.
Over time, as effective MTB MLE programmes are established and supported within the formal education system, this situation should change. An important long-term need will be for an
9 Adapted from S. Malone 2013.
Booklet for Programme Implementers
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