The Impact of an Educational Media Intervention to Support Children’s Early Learning in Rwanda (2019)

Children, Akili and Me Media Receptivity, Numeracy, Vocabulary, Health Knowledge

Location: Rwanda

Reference citation: Borzekowski et al. 2019;

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Study Summary

The study evaluates the effectiveness of an educational media intervention using the animated cartoon program “Akili and Me.

Objective: The study aimed to assess the impact of an educational media intervention on early learning skills among primary school students in Rwanda.

Methodology: The intervention involved a two-week program where students were randomized into two groups: one that watched “Akili and Me” episodes daily and a comparison group that watched local popular programs. The program was adapted in content and language for use in Rwanda.

Participants: The participants were primary school students with a mean age of 7.1 years.

Assessment: Baseline and follow-up assessments evaluated 10 areas of early learning using an adaptation of the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA), as well as children’s media receptivity.

Results: At follow-up, children in the intervention group showed significantly higher scores in counting, number recognition, shape knowledge, letter identification, color identification, body part recognition, health knowledge, and vocabulary compared to the comparison group.

Conclusion: The study provides promising evidence that locally produced educational media interventions can positively impact early learning skills, even among children living in resource-poor communities. This research underscores the potential of educational media programs like “Akili and Me” to enhance early learning outcomes in developing countries.

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