By Cynthia Lake, Johns Hopkins University
The expansion of educational opportunities in developing nations has resulted in increased years of schooling, evident from significant rises in secondary education enrollment rates over the past decades. While access to education is clearly important, it is also crucial to focus on the quality of education. Low literacy rates remain an issue in many parts of the world and identifying effective ways to teach all students to read is essential for both individuals and societies at large.
In Brazil, only 45% of third-grade students demonstrated adequate reading skills on the 2016 national literacy assessment. A recent study by Gomes and Hirata, published in Education Economics, evaluated a program aimed at improving reading fluency among primary school students in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Students in grades 3-5 from 11 public schools were randomly assigned to receive the experimental reading program (n= 220) or to continue with their business-as-usual reading curriculum (n = 244). The program, lasting three months with three sessions per week, focused on techniques like repeated reading, group sessions, and individualized attention. A key feature of the program involved reading aloud with emphasis on modulation. Instructors frequently highlighted their modeling of intonation and rhythm, drawing students’ attention to these aspects.
Results indicated positive impacts on reading speed (ES = +0.14) and accuracy (ES = +0.16), yet no significant improvement in prosody (ES = +0.12) or reading comprehension (ES = +0.03). While the study punctuates the importance of prioritizing reading fluency, particularly in regions like Brazil where literacy levels are low despite increased access to schooling, it also highlights the challenges in achieving comprehensive improvements.
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