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School outcomes and good performance in different subjects depends on children's ability to read. Thus teaching children on how to read during early grades is critical in promoting learning to read. More advanced skills acquired in later grades depend on early grade learning, so children who do not acquire these reading skills in their early grades struggle to acquire more advanced skills usually absorbed through reading. This article reports findings of a study conducted in rural public primary schools in Narok County, Kenya, focusing on the ability of children to read. The study sought to establish the factors influencing children's reading ability and whether there are differences in reading between boys and girls in grade three. A sample comprising 188 grade three children (94 girls and 94 boys) participated in the study, together with 18 head teachers, 66 teachers and 5 education officers from the 18 participating schools. A mixed methods research approach involving concurrent quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques was utilised. Early grade reading assessment tests for English and Kiswahili were utilised to collect quantitative data on children's reading ability. Key informant interviews with head teachers and education officers, and group interviews with teachers were conducted to collect qualitative data. Findings revealed that boys had slightly better mean scores in reading for the two subjects than girls. Availability of reading materials both at home and in school, together with getting supportive parents and teachers, were found to be critical in promoting children's reading.

an: EJ1138339; source: Issues in Educational Research; docTypes: Journal Articles ; Reports - Research; pubTypes: Academic JournalReport;