Supplementary readers as a medium of enhancing young learners’ reading proficiency: a case study of a selected primary school in Goma Division, Mukono Municipality

Abstract

This study examined the role of supplementary readers in enhancing young learners’ reading proficiency in Goma Division, Mukono Municipality. It specifically explored the types of supplementary readers available, their impact on reading skills, and the challenges learners faced in using them. The research targeted Primary Three pupils, who were considered most appropriate as they are still in the stage of “learning to read,” alongside their teachers, who provided information on how supplementary readers were used in classroom practice. A qualitative research design was employed, and data were collected using interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Open-ended interview guides were administered to the teacher, allowing for in-depth narratives on the use of supplementary readers. Observations focused on learners’ phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension, while document reviews examined the availability and management of supplementary materials. Data were analyzed thematically, with codes and themes developed to capture recurring patterns relevant to the study objectives. The findings revealed that learners engaged with a variety of supplementary readers, including storybooks, picture books, phonics readers, and informational texts. These materials were deliberately leveled to match pupils’ abilities and were integrated into English lessons and other subject areas. Pupils who frequently interacted with structured texts demonstrated stronger skills in phonemic awareness, decoding, word recognition, and fluency, confirming the importance of repeated exposure to meaningful reading materials. However, comprehension and higher-order skills such as prediction and summarization were less consistently developed, highlighting gaps in instructional support. The study concluded that supplementary readers played a critical role in fostering literacy growth among young learners but that their effectiveness was constrained by several challenges. These included limited supply of books, inadequate storage, phonemic and vocabulary gaps among pupils, low confidence, and insufficient remedial strategies. While the findings generally aligned with existing literature on the value of diverse and leveled reading materials, they also highlighted contextual factors unique to Goma Division, particularly resource constraints and varied learner readiness. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education provide national guidelines and resources for supplementary reading programs, while school administrators expand access to books and strengthen library systems. Teachers were advised to integrate active reading strategies, scaffold instruction, and adopt differentiated approaches to meet diverse learner needs. Future researchers were encouraged to replicate similar studies in other Ugandan regions and to explore longitudinal impacts of supplementary readers. Collectively, these recommendations underscored the importance of a systemic approach in ensuring that supplementary readers contribute effectively to literacy development in primary schools.