Reading comprehension is one of the most critical skills for children to develop in primary education. Adequate reading comprehension skills are essential for academic success. Unfortunately, reading levels in most Nicaraguan primary schools are very low, which often contributes to decreased retention rates. One of the roots of this problem is that children have very limited access to reading materials.
In response to this situation, we promote reading comprehension activities in each school. We also provide additional training for teachers on how to teach reading comprehension and also introduce new strategies into their classrooms. We work with parents, teachers and school administrators to organize libraries and reading clubs in primary schools served. Reading clubs include recreational reading time, storytelling, short story contests, theater and other exciting activities.
With school libraries and regularly scheduled reading activities, reading comprehension levels have been improving in many schools. As a result, academic performance and promotion rates are also on the rise.