Reducing the achievement gap in mastering reading and writing among primary school children in Kinondoni district, Tanzania

The study set out to focus on reducing the achievement gap in mastering reading and writing among primary school children in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam. Specifically the study intended to assess the teaching methodology in the primary education system that defectively leads to difficulties in reading and writing among school children; to explore mechanisms used to assess children’s performance in reading and writing; and to suggest strategies that can assist teachers in minimizing difficulties in reading and writing. This study used the qualitative research approach, with a sample size of 69 respondents. Data collection tools were observation, documentary review, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The study revealed that there are multiple factors affecting reading and writing performance among primary school children of the age eight to fifteen years mostly connected to pedagogical and assessment processes. The findings revealed that there was an insufficient instructional procedure, including lack of early interventions of teaching of letter-sound relationship. Also there was an inadequate evaluation system in most of the sampled schools. Such that there is no extensive use of strategies and assessments to identify individual specific learning needs as students come with different levels of understanding depending on their background. In addition, there was an inadequate fund to buy instructional resources such as enough reading books, repairing and building school infrastructures. Moreover, teachers encountered challenges including lack of skills in Early Childhood Development (ECD) and classroom pupils ratio was 1: 100 and above; missing a guiding policy for grading children with diverse experiences; lack of team spirit among teachers as well as inadequate school