Is ‘summer’ reading loss universal? Using ongoing literacy assessment in Malawi to estimate the loss from grade-transition breaks

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy S Slade ◽  
Benjamin Piper ◽  
Zikani Kaunda ◽  
Simon King ◽  
Hibatalla Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Reading Skills ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Summer Learning ◽  
Summer Reading ◽  
Grade Transition ◽  
Early Grade ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Reading Loss ◽  
Gender Based

Summer learning loss – decreased academic performance following an extended school break, typically during the period after one grade ends and before another grade starts – is a well-documented phenomenon in North America, but poorly described in sub-Saharan African contexts. In this article, we use the term ‘grade-transition break’ loss in lieu of ‘summer’ loss to refer to the period after one grade ends and before another grade starts. This study analyses data from early grade reading assessments in Malawi, estimating statistically significant average reductions of 0.38 standard deviations (SD) across several measures of reading and pre-reading skills during two grade-transition breaks. The data show the loss in reading skills during the extended breaks between grades 1 and 2 and between grades 2 and 3 in two consecutive years. The study found no gender-based differences in loss. The findings suggest a need for early grade reading interventions to develop and evaluate mitigation strategies lest significant proportions of within-year performance gains be lost over the break between academic years.

scholarly journals Self-Reported Mask Wearing Greatly Exceeds Directly Observed Use: Urgent Need for Policy Intervention in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Jakubowski ◽  
Dennis Egger ◽  
Carolyne Nekesa ◽  
Layna Lowe ◽  
Michael Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Improve Compliance ◽  
Sub Saharan

AbstractBackgroundMany countries in sub-Saharan Africa have so far avoided large outbreaks of COVID-19, perhaps due to the strict lockdown measures that were imposed early in the pandemic. Yet the harsh socio-economic consequences of the lockdowns have led many governments to ease the restrictions in favor of less stringent mitigation strategies. In the absence of concrete plans for widespread vaccination, masks remain one of the few tools available to low-income populations to avoid the spread of SARS-CoV-2 for the foreseeable future.MethodsWe compare mask use data collected through self-reports from phone surveys and direct observations in public spaces from population-representative samples in Ugunja subcounty, a rural setting in Western Kenya. We examine mask use in different situations and compare mask use by gender, age, location, and the riskiness of the activityFindingsWe assess mask use data from 1,960 phone survey respondents and 9,549 direct observations. While only 12% of people admitted in phone interviews to not wearing a mask in public, 90% of people we observed did not have a mask visible (77.7% difference, 95% CI 0.742, 0.802). Self-reported mask use was significantly higher than observed mask use in all scenarios (i.e. in the village, in the market, on public transportation).InterpretationWe find limited compliance with the national government mask mandate in Kenya using directly observed data, but high rates of self-reported mask use. This vast gap suggests that people are aware that mask use is socially desirable, but in practice they do not adopt this behavior.Focusing public policy efforts on improving adoption of mask use via education and behavioral interventions may be needed to improve compliance.FundingWeiss Family Foundation, International Growth Centre

scholarly journals A Multi-Phase Assessment of the Effects of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vine Mutyasira
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Response Measures ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Multi Phase

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to affect agri-food systems around the world and lay bare its fragility, worsening the welfare of millions of smallholder farmers whose livelihoods are anchored on agricultural activities. For the vast majority of sub-Saharan Africa, COVID-19 has coincided with a number of other macroeconomic shocks, which have also exacerbated the impacts of the pandemic on food security, nutrition and general livelihoods, as well curtailed policy responses and mitigation strategies. In Zimbabwe, the COVID-19 pandemic struck at a time the country was experiencing a worsening economic and humanitarian situation. This study focused more on community and household dynamics and response measures to cope with the pandemic. This paper presents a summary of findings emerging from a series of rapid assessment studies undertaken by the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) Programme in Mvurwi and Concession areas of Mazowe District in Zimbabwe to examine how COVID-19 is affecting food systems and rural livelihoods in our research communities.

scholarly journals Major Stressors Favoring Cholera Trigger and Dissemination in Guinea-Bissau (West Africa)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11296
Author(s):  
Ana Machado ◽  
Eva Amorim ◽  
Adriano A. Bordalo
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Wash Water ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Guinea Bissau ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Heavy Burden ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Key Indicators

Cholera remains a heavy burden worldwide, especially in Sub-Saharan African countries, which account for the majority of the reported cases on the continent. In this study, a 27-year retrospective analysis of cholera epidemics in Guinea-Bissau was performed in order to highlight major stressors fueling the trigger and dissemination of the disease. Although the role of environmental factors did not always have the same degree of importance for the onset of epidemics, a cholera seasonal pattern was clearly perceived, with most of the reported cases occurring during the wet season. The generated theoretical hypothesis indicated rainfall above climatological average, associated with a lack of WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) infrastructure, and the occurrence of concomitant epidemics in neighboring countries as the key indicators for optimal conditions for cholera to thrive in Guinea-Bissau. Warmer air temperature, the increase in sea surface temperature, and the decrease in salinity in the coastal areas may also contribute to the emergence and/or aggravation of cholera events. Prediction of the conditions favorable for cholera growth and identification of risk pathways will allow the timely allocation of resources, and support the development of alert tools and mitigation strategies.

Brain growth after surgical treatment for infant postinfectious hydrocephalus in Sub-Saharan Africa: 2-year results of a randomized trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Steven J. Schiff ◽  
Abhaya V. Kulkarni ◽  
Edith Mbabazi-Kabachelor ◽  
John Mugamba ◽  
Peter Ssenyonga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Treatment ◽  
Brain Volume ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Cognitive Outcome ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Third Ventriculostomy ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
Brain Growth ◽  
Sub Saharan

OBJECTIVE Hydrocephalus in infants, particularly that with a postinfectious etiology, is a major public health burden in Sub-Saharan Africa. The authors of this study aimed to determine whether surgical treatment of infant postinfectious hydrocephalus in Uganda results in sustained, long-term brain growth and improved cognitive outcome. METHODS The authors performed a trial at a single center in Mbale, Uganda, involving infants (age < 180 days old) with postinfectious hydrocephalus randomized to endoscopic third ventriculostomy plus choroid plexus cauterization (ETV+CPC; n = 51) or ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS; n = 49). After 2 years, they assessed developmental outcome with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition (BSID-III), and brain volume (raw and normalized for age and sex) with CT scans. RESULTS Eighty-nine infants were assessed for 2-year outcome. There were no significant differences between the two surgical treatment arms in terms of BSID-III cognitive score (p = 0.17) or brain volume (p = 0.36), so they were analyzed together. Raw brain volumes increased between baseline and 2 years (p < 0.001), but this increase occurred almost exclusively in the 1st year (p < 0.001). The fraction of patients with a normal brain volume increased from 15.2% at baseline to 50.0% at 1 year but then declined to 17.8% at 2 years. Substantial normalized brain volume loss was seen in 21.3% patients between baseline and year 2 and in 76.7% between years 1 and 2. The extent of brain growth in the 1st year was not associated with the extent of brain volume changes in the 2nd year. There were significant positive correlations between 2-year brain volume and all BSID-III scores and BSID-III changes from baseline. CONCLUSIONS In Sub-Saharan Africa, even after successful surgical treatment of infant postinfectious hydrocephalus, early posttreatment brain growth stagnates in the 2nd year. While the reasons for this finding are unclear, it further emphasizes the importance of primary infection prevention and mitigation strategies along with optimizing the child’s environment to maximize brain growth potential.

A Furry Partnership

2013 ◽  
pp. 823-839
Author(s):  
Mary L. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Public Library ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
School Staff ◽  
Therapy Dog ◽  
The Public ◽  
Summer Reading ◽  
Third Grade Students ◽  
Reading Loss

This case study describes the partnership between the Bedford Public Library and an elementary school. This partnership consists of a program designed to assist grade school children with literacy skills. Third grade students read aloud to a Pet Partners team made up of a therapy dog and a handler who is a professional public librarian. The team visits the school weekly with books selected from the public library’s collection to provide animal assisted therapy. School staff and teachers collect and provide assessment data on students to create goals and track progress for the students. The librarian, teachers, and school staff work together to create new methods of assessing progress attributed to reading to the dog. During the summer months, the Pet Partners team visits a local Summer Meals site to help address the problem of summer reading loss. Children of all ages are invited to read aloud to the team to participate in animal assisted activities.

Technology-Infused Balanced Literacy for Enhancing the Reading Skills of Early Grade Children

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Amar Ali Khan ◽  
Manzile Maqsood ◽  
Sajid Umair
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Balanced Literacy ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Conventional Teaching ◽  
Early Grade ◽  
Global Language ◽  
Different Cultures

English is considered as a universal and global language. It serves as a bridge between different cultures and countries. Owing to its great importance research studies are being carried out across the world in order to find out the best ways of teaching English Language at earlier stages of schooling. One such identified way is balanced literacy. This is a systematic approach towards teaching English not as a subject but as a language. This study was conducted to see the effect of technology infused balanced literacy approach on the learning skills and engagement level of English learners in context of Pakistani schools where English is taught as a second Language. An intervention of six weeks was carried out. During the study the conventional teaching methodology of English was also observed. The results of the study suggest the use of balanced literacy for improvement of reading skills.

Wholistic Planning and Literacy Assessment for Bi/Multilingual and Bi/Multicultural DHH Students

2022 ◽  
pp. 110-145
Author(s):  
Pamela Luft
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Educational Experiences ◽  
Academic Skills ◽  
Miscue Analysis ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Eighth Grader

This chapter presents Hornberger's *continua of biliteracy as a comprehensive and wholistic examination of diverse deaf and hard-of-hearing students' multilingual and multicultural abilities. The continua consist of four domains—development, content, media, and contexts—through which biliteracy is acquired. The continua are described then applied to three diverse immigrant DHH students and their families who are from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Chile. This results in unique insights into the students' current skill development and future needs including attainment of a positive dual minority identity and optimal academic skills. The final section utilizes the continua with a miscue analysis of an African American eighth grader. Miscue analysis provided a naturalistic, language-neutral means of assessing reading skills and identified a number of strengths not previously observed. This combination of tools more thoroughly examines the positive and negative influences on diverse DHH students with sensitive and insightful approaches for optimizing their educational experiences.

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