Right to Play Report Reveals Improvement in Early Literacy Skills in Ghana.

Accra: The Right to Play Ghana's 'Enhancing Quality Early Education' project has demonstrated significant improvements in early childhood education across the nation. The evaluation highlighted an impressive rise in early literacy skills, which surged from 29 percent at baseline to 66 percent at endline.According to Ghana News Agency, early numeracy skills also saw a notable increase from 43 percent to 81 percent, while social and emotional development improved from 41 percent to 82 percent. These advancements included enhanced student abilities in letter and sound identification, number and shape recognition, puzzle completion, understanding one-to-one correspondence, and writing mechanics.Professor Kwame Akyeampong, the Project Consultant, presented these findings during the Partners in Play (P3) Project's close-out event, organized by Right to Play Ghana. The event, themed 'Play-Based Learning: Innovative Pedagogy for 21st Century Learning,' celebrated the establishment of a playful learning environmen t for both children and educators in Accra.Play-based learning has been effective in fostering critical social and emotional skills in children aged three to five, such as emotional recognition, social interaction, and navigating social dynamics. The Right to Play Project, initiated in Ghana in 2022, was executed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Sabre Education, and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA). It covered the Volta, Greater Accra, and Northern regions, focusing on implementing the new standard-based curriculum, which encourages teachers to adopt creative pedagogies to improve overall learning outcomes.Although the project is concluding, Prof. Akyeampong stressed the importance of sustaining its impact and continuing the significant investments made in early education. Ms. Josephine Mukakalisa, Country Director of Right to Play, highlighted the project's success, noting the substantial improvement in children's development and teachers' skills and confidence in using play-based app roaches. The project reached 140 schools across nine districts, trained thousands of educators and caregivers, and emphasized the importance of play in children's development and learning outcomes.Ms. Mukakalisa advocated for continued investment in teacher training on play-based approaches, the integration of play-based learning into national education policies, and the expansion of school infrastructure and access to play-based materials. She also called for local-level campaigns to raise awareness and support for play in education among school leaders, community groups, parents, and caregivers, expressing gratitude to all partners and stakeholders involved in the project.Prof. Yayra Dzakadzie, Director-General of NaCCA, representing the Minister of Education, emphasized the significance of play-based learning and the need for future evaluations to assess its effectiveness. She pledged NaCCA's continued support for training educators and providing necessary resources to make play-based learning a core c omponent of Ghana's education system.Mr. Stephen Abamfo, the Regional Education Director, urged for the project's expansion and government ownership to benefit the other 13 regions and districts across the country, ultimately enhancing the education sector. The project was supported by the Lego Foundation.