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Improving Reading Skills by Encouraging Children to Read in School: A Randomized Evaluation of the Sa Aklat Sisikat Reading Program in the Philippines

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  • Ama Baafra Abeberese
  • Todd J. Kumler
  • Leigh L. Linden

Abstract

We show that a short-term (31 day) reading program, designed to provide age-appropriate reading material, to train teachers in their use, and to support teachers' initial efforts for about a month improves students' reading skills by 0.13 standard deviations. The effect is still present three months after the program but diminishes to 0.06 standard deviations, probably due to a reduced emphasis on reading after the program. We find that the program also encourages students to read more on their own at home. We find no evidence that improved reading ability improves test scores on other subjects.

Suggested Citation

  • Ama Baafra Abeberese & Todd J. Kumler & Leigh L. Linden, 2011. "Improving Reading Skills by Encouraging Children to Read in School: A Randomized Evaluation of the Sa Aklat Sisikat Reading Program in the Philippines," NBER Working Papers 17185, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:17185
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    Cited by:

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    2. Derksen, Laura & Michaud-Leclerc, Catherine & Souza, Pedro C.L., 2022. "Restricted access: How the internet can be used to promote reading and learning," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    3. Derksen, Laura & Leclerc, Catherine Michaud & Souza, Pedro CL, 2019. "Searching for Answers : The Impact of Student Access to Wikipedia," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1236, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    4. Goux, Dominique & Gurgand, Marc & Maurin, Eric, 2017. "Reading enjoyment and reading skills: Lessons from an experiment with first grade children," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 17-25.
    5. Blimpo, Moussa P. & Pugatch, Todd, 2021. "Entrepreneurship education and teacher training in Rwanda," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    6. Jan Bietenbeck & Marc Piopiunik & Simon Wiederhold, 2018. "Africa’s Skill Tragedy: Does Teachers’ Lack of Knowledge Lead to Low Student Performance?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 53(3), pages 553-578.
    7. Asim,Salman & Chase,Robert S. & Dar,Amit & Schmillen,Achim Daniel, 2015. "Improving education outcomes in South Asia : findings from a decade of impact evaluations," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7362, The World Bank.
    8. Blimpo, Moussa P. & Pugatch, Todd, 2023. "Unintended Consequences of Youth Entrepreneurship Programs: Experimental Evidence from Rwanda," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1332, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    9. Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Gordon, Rachel A. & Crosnoe, Robert, 2019. "'O Youth and Beauty:' Children's Looks and Children's Cognitive Development," IZA Discussion Papers 12708, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Gao, Qiufeng & Wang, Huan & Mo, Di & Shi, Yaojiang & Kenny, Kaleigh & Rozelle, Scott, 2018. "Can reading programs improve reading skills and academic performance in rural China?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 111-125.
    11. Barrera-Osorio, Felipe & Gonzalez, Kathryn & Lagos, Francisco & Deming, David J., 2020. "Providing performance information in education: An experimental evaluation in Colombia," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    12. Matthew Manning & Susanne Garvis & Christopher Fleming & Gabriel T.W. Wong, 2017. "The relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood education and care environment," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(1), pages 1-82.
    13. Vegas, E & Ganimian, A. J., 2013. "Theory and Evidence on Teacher Policies in Developed and Developing Countries," Working Paper 104291, Harvard University OpenScholar.
    14. Alejandro J. Ganimian & Richard J. Murnane, 2014. "Improving Educational Outcomes in Developing Countries: Lessons from Rigorous Impact Evaluations," NBER Working Papers 20284, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Derksen, Laura & Leclerc, Catherine Michaud & Souza, Pedro CL, 2019. "Searching for Answers: The Impact of Student Access to Wikipedia," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 450, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    16. Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Gordon, Rachel A. & Crosnoe, Robert, 2023. "“O Youth and Beauty:” Children's looks and children's cognitive development," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 275-289.
    17. Yi, H. & Mo, D. & Wang, H. & Gao, Q. & Shi, Y. & Wu, P. & Abbey, C. & Rozelle, S., 2018. "Do Resources Matter? The Effects of a Classroom Library Project on Student Independent Reading Habits in Primary Schools in Rural China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277317, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. NAKAMURO Makiko & ITO Hirotake, 2020. "The Effect of Computer Assisted Learning on Children's Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Cambodia," Discussion papers 20074, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    19. Rosangela Bando & Francisco Gallego & Paul Gertler & Dario Romero, 2016. "Books or Laptops? The Cost-Effectiveness of Shifting from Printed to Digital Delivery of Educational Content," NBER Working Papers 22928, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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