This report provides a detailed account of the academic journey, challenges, interventions, and progressive improvement of Abdul-Minu, a Basic 6 learner at La'angum Learning Centre, Bumboazio. The report is based on close observation, direct instructional experience, and collaboration with colleague teachers.

Background Information

Abdul-Minu popularly known as Minu, was under my (Mustapha Abdul Rahman, Basic 6 Teacher) supervision in Basic Three. At that time, Minu demonstrated academic performance below grade level. Inquiries made from his previous teachers revealed that Minu had consistently faced learning challenges throughout his earlier classes. Minu's difficulties were pronounced in literacy, particularly in letter recognition, reading, and writing. Despite applying various instructional strategies and remedial approaches, Minu continued to struggle. His inability to identify and reproduce the basic alphabet was a great concern and necessitated a more individualized instructional plan. Recognizing the seriousness of Minu's situation, I developed a personalized learning intervention specifically tailored to his needs. The primary objective of this intervention was simple yet foundational: Minu was to learn one alphabet letter per day. Each morning, upon his arrival at school, I wrote a single alphabet letter for him, mentioned its name and sound, and guided him to practice writing it repeatedly. Before closing each day, typically within the last 30 minutes, Minu was called again to rewrite and pronounce the sound of the alphabet letter taught earlier. This process was continuous and systematic, beginning from the alphabet letter 'A' onwards.

Progress and Notable Observations

As we progressed to the alphabet 'G', Minu displayed the ability to write all letters from A to G. However, an interesting setback occurred during one of the reading sessions, when prompted to read the alphabet sequence, he responded: "A B C D 1 2 3 4.😅" Although this response was unexpected, it became a defining moment that strengthened my resolve to help Minu overcome his literacy challenges. I reassured him of my commitment to support his dream of one day becoming a teacher, which further motivated both of us.

Abdul Muttalib assisting Minu in learning.

Continuous Support and Collaboration

With the help of dedicated colleague teachers and consistent reinforcement, Minu began to show signs of steady improvement. A peer-support system was later introduced, whereby he was paired with his classmate, Mutalib, a hardworking student who provides guidance and assistance to Minu at home and at school.

Current Academic Standing

Minu telling a story to his colleagues in the classroom

Today, Minu is in Basic Six and has made remarkable progress. He is now able to recognize and write alphabet letters independently, read simple sentences, write basic words and short sentences with guidance, and respond more actively during lessons.

While he still requires ongoing support, Minu's academic performance has seen a significant and encouraging transformation.  Minu's exceptional storytelling skills are a notable highlight. He possesses a natural flair for spinning captivating tales. When he's given the opportunity to share a story, Minu transforms into a confident and charismatic storyteller, weaving intricate plots and vivid descriptions that transport his listeners to new worlds. His story telling prowess has become a valuable asset in the classroom.

In conclusion, Minu's journey reflects the power of personalized instruction, perseverance, and collaborative support. What began as a worrying academic struggle has evolved into a story of resilience and gradual success. With continued guidance from teachers and peers, Minu is well on his way to attaining greater academic confidence and pursuing his long-term aspiration of becoming a teacher.

Report submitted by:

Abdul Rahman Mustapha, Basic 6 Teacher

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Meet Namawu Mumuni – La’Angum Learning Center Pioneer – Now a University Student

Namawu was in the very first class of pre-K LLC students in 2008. Namawu recently contacted us to update on her progress at the University of Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana. Namawu  is currently a political science major in the second year third trimester, and she aspires to be a lawyer. [Listen to Namawu in the video YouTube]

In her words:

“As part of our course schedule, we normally go to a village at the third trimester of the first year to collect data on health, population and all aspects of the  community, including the number of men and women, their natural resources and the problem they face in their community. In the second year, we go back and update the previous data and also write a proposal to the district to help solve their problems, This is our second term in the village, and we will be spending  one and a half months to complete the data collection and written proposal. The university has chosen a coordinator who will supervise and assess our work.

"Through our data collection from the community, my group members and I have found out that  the problems of the community include poor roads. The community members complained that their roads are very bad especially when it rains. They cannot transport goods and services from their farms to their homes. It is also difficult to move easily from one community to the other. The community also complained about the inadequate water supply in the community. The lack of market  in the community also makes the selling of their  farm produce less costly as compared to the prices of same farm produce on other communities with markets. They also complained about lack of agricultural support for farmers and inadequate toilet facilities. 

"As a group, we suggested possible solutions that could help solve their problems. We also suggested that the community should appeal to the district assembly to  support  them with finances so they can (1) drill more boreholes and water wells to solve the problem of the inadequate water supply, (2) construct roads, (3) establish a community market and provide them with infrastructure and resources, (4) provide agricultural training and resources to the farmers, and (5) build many toilet facilities.  We have compiled all of these ideas into a report.  We shall  print and share one of these reports for their assembly man, and the district as well, so that shall put it into action.”