Promoting Shared Responsibilities in Developing Children’s Early Literacy and Reading Culture in Rwanda

Abstract

Reading is of paramount importance in the modern era. It is an invaluable tool to instill knowledge in people and lead them to sustainable development. This study aimed to investigate the shared responsibilities of stakeholders in promoting early literacy and reading culture in Rwanda. The study was conducted in five districts in Rwanda, one in each province, including the city of Kigali. This study is conducted within the framework of the Theory of Emergent Literacy (EL) pioneered by Marie Clay (1926–2007) (Rohde, 2015; Teale, 1986; Tracey and Morrow, 2006), according to which literacy development begins very early in life and children’s early reading and writing experiences are of considerable importance in their overall literacy development. The study applied a descriptive research design, which consists of collecting quantitative and qualitative data. The target population was 437,988, which was the total number of households in the five districts. It involved 598 parents in selected households, school administrators, and local authorities. A convenience sampling technique was used to select parents, while a purposive sampling technique was applied to select school administration and local authorities. A questionnaire, interviews, and observation were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that parents carry out their responsibilities and interactions with children by cultivating a reading culture and reading stories to them before school age. Findings also showed that parents acknowledge teachers’ interactions with children through giving them take-home reading assignments. The strategies that are used to develop early literacy and reading culture include showing pictures, using games and songs, and devoting some hours to reading on specific days in a week. The study identified challenges including parents’ illiteracy and poverty preventing them from being involved in their children’s education, the lack of enough books in schools, and overcrowded classes. It is recommended that government support be increased by making reading materials more accessible to children; that parents’ role in developing the reading culture and early literacy should be more visible; and that there is a need for adult literacy education to enable parents to read to their children and monitor their reading practice.