Royal University of Phnom Penh Case Studies on EFA Promising Practices in the Asia-Pacific Region: Promoting Early Grade Quality through Early Grade Reading and Writing Research Team Chhinh Sitha, Mok Sarom, Rath Chhang and HorYouhan Submitted to UNESCO

Content Background Problem Beneficiary Developing the solution Implementation Challenges Key achievement Lesson learned Recommendation

Education Strategic Plan 2009 – 2013 is committed to access and institutional capacity building. - Education for All, All for Education, Education and Learning for All. - To support this, Cambodia offers free Basic Education for Grades 1 – 9 Education Strategic Plan 2014 – 2018 is committed to efficiency of the institution and quality.

YearNet enrollment Total by locationGirl by location Total UrbanRuralRemoteUrbanRuralRemote Source: MoEYS, EMIS Background

Challenges Completion Low achievement

Khmer Content Area and Cognitive Skill Summary Source: CESSP, 2006

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Intervention? New Textbooks Intended for all primary school children in grades 1-3

New textbooks as a solution Initiative: Towards Reading for All: Rationale:Poor results in a sample of national assessment in literacy in grade 3 and 6 Intervention: Change Khmer Textbook (content and teaching from whole word recognition to vowel and consonant combination) Beneficiary: Grades 1, 2 and 3 nationwide Executing Ministry: MoEYS in collaboration with Room to Read, Save Children Norway, Kampuchea Action for Primary School and World Education Result?

The implementation Pilot test in 2010 in grade Implemented – Grade 1 in 2010 – Grade 2 in 2012 – Grade 3 in 2013

Textbooks counts New textbooks work magically. As a result, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport decided to select EGRA case from Cambodia to congratulate the EFA journey 2015.

Case Study Purpose The case study was designed and prepared with a view to providing in-depth understanding of successful and innovative initiatives that are critical in EFA acceleration in the region. The case study was prepared by documenting and showcasing successful EFA initiatives from CAMBODIA-EGRA.

Review of Documents 1. Previous EGRA assessment 2. Teaching and learning of the language 3. A critical of EGRA textbook Interview 52 participants – 3 Principals, 9 Teachers, 18 Students, 18 parents, 2 Department Directors, and 2 NGOs EGRA: A Review of Processes and result

Synergy of Textbooks Review The numbers of the contents (to read, write vowels, consonant, syllabus, words, phrases, short texts) are the same. Textbooks were written by Cambodian practitioners and experts (minimal and financial support). Joint efforts: MoEYS, Room To Read, Save Children International.

Presentation of Vowels and the Consonants EGRA: memorization of the vowels and consonants as in 1960s with different approaches of teaching and learning. - Old: repetition after teachers and friends - New: Flexible and rich range of activities. Words with pictures known to students in daily life presetting with color pictures. Exercises are easy and systematic manner for students to recall memory of the vowels and consonants. In doing so, students are confident in reading phrases/sentences as they appears in long sentence structure with less emphasis to meaning. New vowels, old consonants and vice versa.

Textbook comparison

EGRA Textbook 2. School Principals 4. Parents 3. Teachers 1. Policy Makers and NGOs - Informed by poor assessment result - Something wrong with textbook -Exploring new approaches (My Reading [RtR] and Our reading and writing [SCI]) - A comprehensive professional development textbooks - Design to enrich and extend program - Friendly Use - Clear presentation components - Conducive to learning - Procedure routine - Systematic and explicit Instruction - Interest as it reflects current Cambodia -Capability to use as it includes guidance

Challenges The introduction of the new textbooks in grade 2 and 3 was too rapid to have time for teacher training. New teaching approaches of memorizing vowels and consonants required a lot mobile alphabet flash cards and other teaching/learning aids. New books requires new methods of assessing students’ progress and intervention- skills that teachers do not have in general.

Despite challenges, achievement improved. Source: Alice and Seymour, 2012Alice and Seymour

Lessons Learned Moving the teaching of reading from a method of whole world recognition to memorization of vowels and consonants and combination of the two to form words was key to the success of the EGRA program Languages of similar pattern like Khmer whole word recognition is less effective than spelling approach relying on knowledge of vowels and consonants to form words.

Lessons Learned Structure of text books in such a way that is familiar to them ensured that the new method of teaching reading would meet the teaching and learning styles preferred by teachers and students and parents The result of the study challenges the literature that usually look for relationship between quantity of textbook and student achievement. It suggests that textbook particularly language must not only relevant and connected it must be structured in such a way that teachers can teach and students can learn without referring to different references.

Recommendation Integrate the early grade reading program into the in-service and pre-service teacher training curriculum. Carry out annual Early Grade Reading Assessments in Grades 1 – 3 to identify strengths and weakness early enough for additional intervention. Assessment should be done by all stakeholders using samples for cross checking and monitoring of the results

Recommendation Inclusion of progress test items that all teachers can use at least three times a year – at the beginning of school year, end of semester one and end of semester two. Repeat the the CESSP National Assessment to compare the results. Consider the possibility to take part in International Reading Assessment to know where we stand in reading ability.