Using Environmental Prints to Teach Reading at the Basic School

Abstract

This study examined the use of environmental prints as appropriate teaching/learning materials for the teaching of reading in JHS One in rural areas with inadequate teaching/learning materials. The aim of the study was to find out whether an intervention/treatment using environmental prints would improve the reading abilities of learners. The sample of 66 JHS One pupils and two English teachers were from Wurishie Al-Badal JHS in Tamale. Data for the study was collected through questionnaire and tests. Responses from the questionnaire revealed that respondents had no idea that environmental prints could be used to teach or learn reading/literacy in the classroom. A pre-intervention test was conducted to assess the performance of learners in some language skills before the intervention was carried out. A posttest was then conducted to find out if learners‟ reading abilities had improved or not after the intervention with environmental prints. The findings show that environmental prints impacted positively on the reading and even the writing of learners since there was a significant difference in the mean gain scores between the control and the experimental groups. This therefore provides evidence in support of the use of environmental prints to teach reading at the basic school.In order to help pupils in rural schools with inadequate teaching and learning materials especially, English Language textbooks to learn to read, the study recommended that environmental prints be incorporated in the curriculum and teachers be trained on how to acquire and use environmental prints to teach reading in the language classroom