Ghana Library Authority and Scholastic have launched the Scholastic Literacy Pro platform in Ghana.

The browser-based program is used in assessing students’ reading abilities and comprehension. It combines a reading assessment that computes students’ Lexile measures with a reading management program that includes thousands of quizzes to assess independent reading.

In providing details on how the platform functions at the launch in Accra, Regional Manager for Scholastic Incorporation-Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia and West Africa, Mrs. Joyce Agyare, explained that; the reading assessment is an adaptive test that adjusts to students’ responses.

“Once a student starts the test, the difficulty level of questions change according to the student’s performance. When the computer has enough information to generate a Lexile measure, the test ends,” she added.

In emphasizing the need for reading, she said “People want to read, but one of the main reasons why they don't read is because their experience in reading is not a pleasurable one. The goal of our partnership with the Ghana Library Authority is to help people understand their reading abilities. Learning to read is not enough; you have to nurture it intentionally for maximum benefit". 

She added that Scholastic Literacy Pro would enable Ghanaians to assess and know their competencies, making readers more comfortable in selecting the right kind of books.

The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Mr. Hayford Siaw stated that "GhLA’s priority is to be able to work within the government of Ghana’s policy in making Ghana a Learning nation and for that reason, the need to increase literacy rate has become more urgent than ever. With Ghana scoring literacy levels below the global average, the need is more urgent as the literacy rate is directly linked to the rapid growth in national development.

Mr Siaw added that government is currently resourcing and expanding library access in the country and the need to enrich our programmes and interventions for library patrons to attain optimum benefit contributed to our entry into this partnership to allow Ghanaian readers to assess their reading competencies.

‘’The ability to know your reading competencies and Lexile score allows you to select appropriate books. This is a contributory factor in enjoying the pleasure of reading. Most people become disinterested in reading because they don’t have the appropriate books that meet their level of reading ability. Scholastic Literacy Pro will help bridge this gap.

The Scholastic Literacy Pro can be used by schools to assess their students' reading comprehension levels and motivate them to achieve more. Corporate institutions in Ghana can also use the Scholastic Literacy Pro platform to assess their new hires to know how they can process information", Mr. Siaw emphasized.

As the agency responsible for promoting reading and life-long learning, the Ghana Library Authority and Scholastic, through its local representatives Smartline Limited, are committed to connecting Ghanaians to relevant reading resources because a reading nation is a leading nation.