A Journey to Reading Hub: A Repository of Bangla Reading Skill Development through Technology

Aklima Sharmin, Shirin Lutfeali

Reading is the basic foundation for all other learning activities for a child. Children who do not learn to read in the primary grades are more likely to struggle as they continue their schooling. Many scholars have proved that early grade reading skills are essential for all children to master in order to progress academically. Nonetheless, schools and students around the world still struggle with literacy development in the first years of schooling. Technology can be a tool to overcome this obstacle and several simple innovations in this area have proven to help children develop reading skills.

Bangladesh is betting on technology as a supplement to supporting children’s reading development. Save the Children, in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh’s mandate for a “Vision 2021”, and with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched an ICT in Education component under their larger READ (Reading Enhancement for Advancing Development) project.

This paper outlines the ways in which the READ (Reading Enhancement for Advancing Development) project has developed digital resources for early grade learners, using a web-based platform without any other dependencies. This paper also describes the steps taken to develop the web-based platform, how teachers were trained to use it, the successes and challenges in making this platform accessible to all, and how such a platform works in rural schools in Bangladesh.

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