Developing Instructional Materials to Enhance

Learning

A Case Study from Mango Tree, Innovators in Education and Communication

James Odongo

Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

Introduction to Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

(NULP) Goal: To improve literacy performance among

pupils in early primary classrooms (P1-P3) and strengthen a literacy infrastructure.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

The Literacy Laboratory Project (LLP)

• Supports teachers school administrators, parents and district officials to implement effective literacy instruction;

• Assess early grade learning and use results to strengthen primary education system;

• Improve access to local language literature and contribute to a body of evidence on relevant, cost effective literacy model.

Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

Strengthening a Literate Society Project (SLSP)

Project supports the Lango Language Board (LLB) and Project supports the Lango Language Board (LLB) and Kumam Language Board (KLB) to:Kumam Language Board (KLB) to:

• revise and scale up their orthographies;

• print and distribute basic reference materials related to their languages;

• build capacity of local writers, editors, illustrators and graphic designers from each target community respectively;

Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

support advocacy for local language and build language board capacities to make meaningful contributions to local language literacy.

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Developing Instructional Materials to Enhance

Learning

Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

The ability to read and write is based on a stable and well-defined orthography. Without a good orthography, it is difficult to develop uniform instructional materials for students in local languages or ensure that teachers are properly trained in the rules of grammar and usage to teach children to read and write in their mother tongue.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

Challenges to instructional material Challenges to instructional material development and distributiondevelopment and distribution

• Lack of orthographies/inconsistency in the existing orthographies.

• Limited interest in buying local language materials due to negative attitude towards local language.

• Imposition of use of instructional materials on other languages because they belong to the same family e.g. Luo (Lëblaŋo, Acoli, Lëb Kumam, Dhopadhola).

• Poor reading culture among the community members.Poor reading culture among the community members.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

What do you need to be able to develop What do you need to be able to develop quality instructional materials?quality instructional materials?

•Stable orthography: a writing system which has adequate symbols and rules to represent components of the language.

•Firm policies: very strong policies and policy influencers who will support and advocate for the initiative.

• Writers: experienced persons with the ability to create literature related to your need.

• Technical team: professional people with vast skills and knowledge on the subject matter or any learning material you are developing

• End users: the targeted individuals who will make good use of the instructional materials.

• Authorizing bodies: Language Boards, NCDC, Cultural institutions and other recognized bodies to approve the materials.

Cont...Cont...

Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

Mango Tree’s Instructional materials and Development Processes

Mango Tree uses a unique instructional design process in developing instructional materials. The materials go through several revision stages with suggestive idea from:•Teachers•Centre Coordinating Tutors (CCTs) and •Community members

To make sure that the content is of quality and culturally relevant.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

Instructional materials developed under NULP Include:

•Orthography Guides,• Transition Primers•Junior Dictionary•Alphabet Charts•Lango Anthologies •Pupil Primers (level 1-3), •Readers (level 1-3), •Teachers Guides, •Instructional videos.

Writeshop oriented

Skilled and experienced personnel

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

General processes in material development1.Project brief- entails what the writers, design and production department will

follow. This contains:o project briefo content briefo design briefo delivery

2.Planning for the writeshop- this involves the following:o setting dates o budgeting o venue and o organizing required materials

3.Identifying eligible participants-people with skills you need to develop a particular instructional material.

owriterso Illustratorso language experts

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

4.Compile all the text systematically-text is compiled and major revisions are done before they are sent to design department.

oword documento publishero excel

5.Layout and design-a team with vast skills in layout and design takes on the task of turning the material into what specifications you need.

6.Back and forth revision process-constant revisions are made at this stage until the material is ready for final approvals for production.

7.Production of trial versions-samples of these materials are produced as trial copies for pretest by target groups.

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Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

Cont...8.Pretest materials-materials go to end users and feedback is gathered

regarding all the necessary changes to be made.

9.Final version and final approval by authoritative organs-final approved copies are produced for distribution. In Lango for example, all Leblango materials developed under Mango Tree are approved by Lango Language Board.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

Orthography Guide and Transition PrimerOrthography Guide and Transition Primer

Since Mango Tree started its literacy works in Lango Sub-region in 2009, Lëblaŋo orthography has undergone four different transformation processes in order to build a strong foundation for the development of literacy materials.

The uniqueness of each materialThe uniqueness of each material

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

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Center for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS)

Lango Language Board, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Mango Tree

Missionaries

LLB, RTI (SHRP)

Transition Primer

Godman OkonyeGodman Okonye

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

Example:omer (to befriend) vs omër (to get drunk)

Luke 23:12Yecu inyim Kerode (Jesus before Herod)

Old Lelango orthographyOmio Kerode gin kede Pilato omer i ceŋŋono, pien nwaŋ otye kede amone i akinagi kengi. Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other. Now Herod and Pilate got drunk that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.

Revised Lëblaŋo orthographyOmïö Kerode gïn kede Pilato omer i ceŋŋono, piën nwaŋ otye kede amone iyi akina gï këngï.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

Primers, Readers and Teachers GuidesPrimers, Readers and Teachers Guides

Primer: Text that is specially written to teach children to read. The text is written by:•writers with proven skills in writing for children. •composed of simple words•short sentences that interest children and •text follows the themes and sub-themes of the ministry’s curriculum.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

Reader: It’s storybook that children use to practice the reading skills they’ve learned. They include:•picture story books, •visual games, •repetitive text stories, •traditional (familiar) text, •chapter books

Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

Teacher Guide: It’s a comprehensive material used by the teacher/instructor to deliver weekly lessons. The content in the Teacher Guide is developed by a technical person who has a solid experience on the education system of a country.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

Junior Dictionary and Lango AnthologiesJunior Dictionary and Lango AnthologiesJunior Dictionary consists of 250-300 thematic words. It involves: •translation of lexemes•classification of lexemes•defining lexemes•entering the defined words using toolbox, wesay or other programmes

.

Lango anthologies are relevant cultural stories written by the writers indentified from within the community. They consist of three titles•short cultural stories •puzzles •poems.

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project Mango Tree’s Northern Uganda Literacy Program

LeblangoLeblango Alphabet Alphabet

Letter SoundsLetter Sounds

Letter NamesLetter Names

Mango Tree Primary Literacy Project

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