IGNITED FLICKERS CONSULTANCY

Ignited Flickers consultancy aims at ensuring children have happy childhoods since most of the issues youths are facing today in relation to their emotions and behavior can be associated with their childhood experiences.

Our goal is to therefore ensure children enjoy their childhoods holistically - socially emotionally, physically, cognitively, and spiritually.  Childhood should offer opportunities for the child to learn and master skills that will be useful in their adult life.  It is more important to lay a strong foundation than to start healing scars in the future.  We do this through Parental engagement through talks and training that target churches, schools, and local administrative meetings

-initiate and chair planning, and implementation as well as follow up to monitor and evaluate therefore ensuring the activities planned are implemented and they yield impact to the intended participants

-contribute to the effectiveness, timeliness and efficiency of all programs planned 

-support parents, and caregivers in their endeavors to create a positive environment that supports happy childhoods for their children and those around them

-the team leader is responsible for ensuring the capturing of all information regarding the programs and reports written to be presented to the rest of the team members

-take the initiative to organize training and seminars to create awareness on parental engagement in children's lives in an effort to create happy childhoods

-the team leader attends any meetings that require a team member, handles all communications in and out of IFC, attends any professional pieces of training, and writes with the help of other team members proposals for funding to support our programs.

The team leading the Ignited Flickers is made up of professionals with various backgrounds that add value to our beneficiaries.

We have a qualified counselor who meets then social needs

We have a qualified teacher with a Master's degree in child studies

We have a qualified medical doctor with a wealth of experience working in both private and public facilities and owns two private hospitals

We have an accountant who has over ten years of working in the NGO world currently working as an accountant in charge of over 50 churches in a diocese.

Finally, we have a Pastor and a community servant-member of the county assembly Mikindani ward.

Computer-Aided Literacy enhancement program for children from low-income families to supplement traditional teaching and accelerate their acquisition of English proficiency skills.

Mastery of the English language is very important in today’s world because the official language in many countries, it is a language of instruction, it is a prerequisite for employment in public or private institutions as well as opening doors for job opportunities (Mulatu, 2022). Mastery of the English language (Zubar Khan, 2020) involves acquiring skills in listening, reading, speaking, and writing. If they lack these skills students will hardly understand and comprehend curriculum material taught in the other subjects that are taught in English, leading to poor performance (Zubar Khan, 2020). Despite the importance of the English language in academics unfortunately it is given time just like any other subject when it comes to teaching.     Report by UNICEF, 2022 states that 7 out of every 10 children living in low-income households cannot read a simple sentence by the age of 10 (Saavedra, 2022).  Evidence from the performance analysis of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) shows that English scores in papers 1,2 and 3 were below the average mark of 50% the highest attained grade being in 2019 when the average score was 48.95.

Children living in urban areas are better placed to learn the language outside the classroom because they have access to computers, smartphones, television sets, and electricity which allows them to watch English aiding programs like cartoons unlike children living in low-income homes who do not have the above opportunities. Yet both groups of children are required to go through the same academic system and perform well.  Public schools in Kenya have classes of between 70 and 100 learners against one teacher making it difficult for a teacher to assist slow learners.  The slums school employ unqualified teachers and have very minimal resources to equip their learners with skills that can give them a competitive edge (Gillam, 1993).  Learners who fail to understand the curriculum will always be left behind and referred to as poor performers.   This has contributed to the overall poor performance in the primary to college levels with large numbers of learners being left out of well-equipped schools and career opportunities that would have enabled them to rise out of poverty (Kisaka, 2015). 

Bibliography

Gbayange, N. S. ("n.d"). The effects of poor peformance in Englisg language on the academic performance of Nigerian university students. pp. 1-14.

Gillam, R. B. (1993). Spoken and written language relationships in ;anguage/learning-impaired and normally achieving school age children. Journal of speech and hearing research, 1303-1315.

Kisaka, J. (2015). Cultural factors hindering mastery of English language in primary and secondary school: case study of kilifi county Kenya. British Journal of Education, pp. 38-44.

Mulatu, B. M. (2022). English language skills and academic Achievement Urban and Rural secondary schools: The case of high and low achievers. Hindawi Educational research international, pp. 1-8.

Saavedra, J. '. (2022). The state of Global learning poverty. UNICEF, p. 55.

Zubar Khan, I. K. (2020). consequences of poor performance in English at secondary school level. Elementary Education Online, 2918-2926.

Ignited Flickers Consultancy’s solution will be to use computer-aided literacy learning to supplement the traditional methods of learning.  we shall provide a forum where learners who have not mastered the English language skills can learn at their own pace, regardless of their age or social status to become proficient and acquire the ability to read and understand curriculum materials and therefore perform well in national examinations and successfully transit to the next level, eventually taking career paths of choice and one that can ensure meaningful income in adult life.

This method has been widely researched and proved to be effective.  With the traditional methods of classroom lecturing and discussion, scores will still be low but with a well-equipped English learning laboratory the students will be motivated and there will be a remarkable improvement in listening, speaking, and pronunciation skills (Ratnaningsih, 2019).

 By use of computerized programs already in the market and approved by the Ministry of Education or any other regulatory body, Our solution will work with three levels.  we intend to strengthen the basic level with learners aged 3 to 8 years with the basic reading of letters and simple three to four-letter words.   From age 9 to 12 we intensify the reading, speaking, and writing to ensure the learners are able to read fluently and produce coherent writing.  Above 12 years we shall require the learners to use their reading, writing, and speaking skills to write expository paragraphs.

We shall have a computer laboratory with at least two safe spaces for learners to use.  We shall collaborate with specific schools in the slum areas where we shall extend outreach programs if the children cannot make it to the lab on school days. to ensure the home environment is conducive, parents or caregivers will be invited to learn with their children where they will help them create stories about their home, school, or the community environment.  We hope to use such opportunities to create future learning materials and programs that are tailored to our learner's needs.  

Works Cited

Green, T. (2005). Using technology to he;p English language students develop language skills: home and school connection. Education research Information Center, pp. 56-59.

Ratnaningsih, D. &. (2019). The influence of computer Assisted Language Learning CALL to improve English speaking skills. Research Society and Development, pp. 1-9.

The literature review solution will have an impact on children living in low-income households where English is rarely used and therefore disadvantaging them in schooling, expressing themselves, and future aspirations. The solution goes beyond classroom teaching providing a variety of language learning experiences where learners can hear, write, speak, and read English (Green, 2005). There were no computer-aided programs in the Kenya market that are specifically addressing the English language proficiency challenges.  Commercialized programs combine all subjects to maximize profits and reach a wider market.

Our target is schools in low-income households because they are poorly equipped, teachers are not qualified (Lai et al., 2015) and they have challenges with their pronunciation (teachers) due to the influence of their mother tongue (Komenn, 2013).  Learners learn English more slowly (Hakuta & Butler, 2000) due to the challenges in the environment they live in and the schools they go to (Lai et al., 2015). and therefore the need for special attention is unavailable  (Hakuta & Butler, 2000). Special classes are important (Hakuta & Butler, 2000) plus motivated teachers who work outside classroom time or after school (Lai et al., 2015). This solution will be handy where remedial tuition services are not available or are available on a commercial basis which parents can’t afford (Lai et al., 2015). 

The impact is immense.  Learners will learn vocabulary that they can recall for a long time, it gives confidence to older children who do not want to be seen reading lower-grade books and the opportunity to keep practicing to better their skills (Kang & Dennis, 1995). While learners can use pictures and clip arts to give meaning to their writing, teachers also can teach grammar, nouns, verbs, and adverbs by asking learners to highlight them in a sentence (Lewis, 1997). Computer-Aided learning actively involves the learner and allows them to learn at their own pace which is an advantage to slow or gifted learners (Chambers & Sprecher, 1980).

Works Cited

Chambers, J. A., & Sprecher, J. W. (1980). Computer assisted instruction: current trends and critical issues . Communication of the ACM, 332-342.

Green, T. (2005). using technology to help English language students develope language skills: home and school connection. education research and information center, 56-59.

Hakuta, K., & Butler, G. y. (2000). How long doe it take English learners to attain proficiency. Education research & information center, 1-2.

Kang, S. H., & Dennis, J. R. (1995). the effects of computer enhanced vocabulary lessons in achievement of ESL. graded school children. Computer for Schools, 25-35.

Komenn, J. &. (2013). Challenges other languages spoken in upper primary school have on the teaching and learning of English in Kenya. African Journal of Education Science and Technology, 46-52.

Lai et al., 2. (2015). does computer assisted learning improve learning outcomes? Evidence from a randomized experiment in migrant schools in Beijing. Economics of Education Review, 34-48.

Lewis, P. (1997). Using Productivity Software for Beginning Language Learning--part 1. Education research and information center, 14-17.

So far our research did not find a Kenya-made Computer Aided program that addresses the English language specifically.  One of our long-term goals is to come up with one using the experiences of the clients we will serve. By setting up a computer-Aided program many of the challenges that contribute to the lack of proficiency in English among many learners will be addressed.  The majority of learners find claim English is hard because it is a second or third language and they already develop a negative attitude towards it.  

In school, the challenges multiply because teachers are not qualified, and if they are their mother tongue influences their pronunciation, studies show that one requires 3 to 7 years to fully master English an opportunity that many learners miss.  It also came out clear that traditional methods of teaching are becoming outdated and boring to learners and transiting to more modern methods is very expensive and therefore out of reach for many children especially those from the low-income household who, according to our research need the extra support more than those whose families are able. 

Computer Aided programs that support learners from low-income families will enable them to use the master of the language to tackle other subjects like sciences which according to our research have been eluding them and therefore denying them the opportunity to join performing high schools as they transition from primary to high school and, they perform dismally in their form four examination therefor again, failing to join prestigious colleges and university that would have given them an opportunity to take careers that will ensure that they get employed or employ themselves after college.  After spending about 20 years in school they come back home to join the same casual jobs that their caregivers we earning from and the circle of poverty continues.  

We are working towards having all learners compete equally for available resources within the country no matter what background they come from.

Our research scope is limited by limited research skills, we rely on skills learned in school, our area of coverage is within our reach we are not able to move further due to limited resources and financial constraints, and we lack the required background of operation to earn the trust of donors.  We operate from home and give support to school-going children where parents or schools accept our request.  we give motivational talks once in a while but it's not a long-term activity that can be followed up to access success. There is a lot of research done and recommendations made but little action is taken or non at all to serve this problem.

Personal, the leader (Jane) went to teaching after working with an NGO supporting vulnerable children.  15 out of 60 learners in my class got straight E's in all subjects.  The mean grade for the current examination class is slightly above 2 at a scale of 1 to 12 points, 12 being the highest and this points to a mean grade of D- or E.  All of us teachers agree that English proficiency is a challenge for these girls but at this level, the school does not see the need for investing extra funds for extra strategy when the parents cannot pay for the normal school teaching.  What happens to these girls after scoring E's? The majority are looking at providing cheap labor in household work, EPZ (Export processing zone), and companies that make clothing for export, which are not Kenyan but tap on the cheap labor available to run their business.  Some will find their way to risky jobs in the Arab countries.  The largest working force in the coast region of Kenya is Women.  Men have very few options once they score low grades.  Their wife's becoming the breadwinners.  Getting it right from lower school grades and advancing the mastering of English skills as they progress in school can place learners in the coastal region in an economically empowered position.  All these are our assumptions that we hope to research and get evidence that will direct us toward finding the right solutions 

With support from LEAP we can use the findings to influence the Ministry of Education within Mombasa County to see the need in investing in English proficiency.  It is a task we cannot handle on our own.  Evidence is crucial and convincing.

1.  How best can we convince caregivers within the coast region to invest in a program that perfects English proficiency skills among their children aged 5 to 16 as a means of improving performance?

2.  How best can we influence parents and caregivers to embrace computer-aided learning as an opportunity for their children to acquire English learning skills that will translate into good performance in academics?

3. How best do we create a motivating environment that can influence learners to accept the English language and perfect it through the use of a Computer-Aided program so as to improve their performance?

The second option will be the best for us.  We have picked a product but it has not been tested yet.  So far we have done a literature review, and going to the ground for a survey and interview will give us more insights as we continuously plan our program implementation.  it will give a real picture of the situation on the ground, verify our assumptions, and design activities that will meet the needs of all the participants.  

it will help us identify any gaps existing and help identify ways of dealing with the gaps.  It is good to have clients use it and get feedback as we progress.  Continuous interviews will help us improve the program and increase the scale plus provide evidence to support our future growth.  It will be good to learn from other Education programs how they have implemented their own, the challenges faced, and how to overcome them.  it would be good to hear from the children what they think works best for them and compare results before training and after training will.  

We are going to need a lot of help designing tools that will be used to put in place the structure of the solution, for example, recruitment forms, training material content, designing implementation structures, follow-up tools, and agreements with collaborators.  As a team, we are in need of professional help to kick up our solution on solid ground.

As a team, we are open to learning.  We have previously come up with solutions but we failed to push through because of a lack of knowledge.  Solutions and impact without the engagement of the relevant government arms may not yield much impact.  this will include strategies that will help us implement, monitor and evaluate all aspects of the solution at different levels providing feedback and reports that will help in scaling the future of the solutions.  it will be good to have a team that we can reach out to as we grow from a county to a national program in the next 3 to 5 years.  We are not sure of what the outcomes will be but we are optimistic and extremely excited and hope that we shall get an opportunity to learn and get more equipped with skills to address the current and previous challenges and much more.

our first task is to sit and re-align our solutions with the outputs from LEAP and do proper documentation.  This will provide us with a document to start engaging the relevant government institutions to get the right permits to operate.  It is going to give us a forum for discussing to pitch our ultimate goal which is using the findings to influence policymakers to make changes that can improve the education system to be more inclusive.

We are hoping at the end to be equipped to provide solutions to community challenges.  We shall be better at pitching and scaling our solutions to yield more impact. We shall have mastered the skills of working out a theory of charge.  We can be able to state a solution that can be understood and attract donor funding.  We can be able to start a solution and scale it up to become self-sustaining. Through research, we hope to provide permanent solutions or alternatives that can address variabilities in the school system