NCERD (National Centre for Educational Resource Development), in association with Research Triangle Institution (RTI) of Washington , D.C. , yesterday started a six-day workshop to initiate the implementation of Early Grade Readers Assessment (EGRA) in Guyana.

The joint effort, funded by the World Bank, is being undertaken by NCERD staff and retired teachers who will be enlightened on how to use the programme.

Facilitators are Ms. Jennifer Sprat and Ms. Emily Miksic of RTI and the two are currently working with Ms. Claudette Phoenix, Head of Test Development Unit and Ms. Bibi Shariman Ali, Head of Curriculum Development and Implementation Unit, both of NCERD, to provide technical assistance.

EGRA is targeting 2,700 pupils from Grades One to Three in 60 primary schools in Regions One (Barima/Waini), Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo).

EGRA is a diagnostic instrument designed to quickly assess the pupils’ skills for literacy acquisition.

Developed in 2006 when United States Agency for International Development (USAID) created an instrument to gauge reading, EGRA was initially tested in four schools within Georgetown.

The comprehensive process is divided into nine sections which include letter name knowledge, initial sound distinction, familiar word identification, invented word decoding, passage reading and comprehension, listening comprehension, dictation and pupil context interviews.

Ali, the NCERD Coordinator of EGRA, said a study, that will be conducted after the workshop, will provide a baseline of solid evidence on how well pupils of the early grades are reading.

She added that the survey will introduce Guyanese educators to simple and systematic methods of assessing children’s reading skills and this can be useful for individual diagnosis.

Ali’s colleague and fellow coordinator, Phoenix noted that the results will provide information to be made available to schools countrywide.

“This will assist teachers in recognising difficulties that children are facing and begin remedial actions instead of waiting for that child to get to the Grade Six level,” she said.

Ali attested that EGRA will enable NCERD to plan other programmes and training courses as proof that the Ministry of Education has, once again, reaffirmed its commitment to raising the literacy levels in Guyana.