The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atwima Mponua, Hon. Ibrahim Issahak, has called on students across the district to cultivate the habit of reading with understanding, describing literacy as the foundation for academic excellence, effective communication and national development.
According to him, reading without comprehension defeats the purpose of education, stressing that “reading and understanding are the keys to learning.”
The DCE made the remarks during the Atwima Mponua District Education Directorate’s annual Reading Festival held at Nyinahin Catholic Senior High School under the theme: “Reading for Understanding, Leadership and National Development.”
Addressing teachers, pupils, parents and education stakeholders, Hon. Issahak urged the District Education Directorate to strengthen phonics instruction from Crèche to Basic Three, explaining that early literacy development is critical to a child’s educational journey.
He also appealed to parents to complement the efforts of teachers by actively supporting their children’s reading and phonics education at home.
Strong Foundation.
Hon. Issahak noted that phonics remains the most effective approach to helping children recognise letters, pronounce words correctly, read fluently and understand what they read.
He explained that a strong grounding in phonics equips children with the language skills needed to communicate confidently and perform better academically.
“Phonics is the foundation that enables a child to speak properly, pronounce words correctly and understand language. Teachers must start phonics well so that children can identify letters, pronounce them correctly, read and understand them,” he stated.
The DCE further encouraged both teachers and parents to help children learn and appreciate their mother tongue alongside English, saying proficiency in local languages strengthens communication and preserves Ghana’s cultural identity.
He stressed that children who develop solid reading skills at the lower primary level are more likely to excel in all subjects as they progress through the educational system.
Reading Initiative Producing Results.
The Atwima Mponua District Director of Education, Mrs. Adwubi Asafu-Adjaye, said the district’s reading intervention programme has begun yielding impressive results since its introduction in 2022.
She explained that the initiative deploys specially trained support teachers to basic schools to help pupils identify letters, master phonetic sounds, improve pronunciation and develop confidence in reading.
According to her, the annual Reading Festival serves as a platform to assess learners’ progress while motivating pupils to develop a lifelong interest in reading.
“This reading initiative is helping our students to identify letters and their phonetic sounds. It is improving their reading and proper pronunciation, and we believe this will lead to better results. Since we started in 2022, we have been implementing this programme and we are seeing good outcomes,” she said.
Mrs. Asafu-Adjaye urged teachers to remain committed to delivering quality instruction while encouraging students to take their studies seriously in order to benefit fully from the programme.
Literacy Development.
The Reading Festival attracted pupils, teachers, parents and education stakeholders from across the district, who participated in reading competitions, spelling contests and storytelling sessions in both English and Ghanaian languages.
Education authorities described the event as an important platform for promoting literacy, leadership and critical thinking among young learners.
Officials of the District Education Directorate reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the initiative through continuous monitoring and support to ensure improved literacy outcomes in all basic schools within the Atwima Mponua District.
They expressed optimism that sustained investment in early-grade reading and phonics education would significantly improve learning outcomes and prepare pupils to contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s socio-economic development.
