Community Reading Clubs as a Strategy for Promoting Igbo Literacy Among Primary School Children in Awka, Anambra State

This study evaluates the effectiveness of community-based reading clubs as a strategy for promoting Igbo language literacy among primary school children aged six to twelve in Awka, Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Despite constitutional provisions for mother-tongue education in the early years of schooling, implementation of Igbo literacy programmes at the primary level remains inconsistent across Anambra State. The research adopts a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test design, comparing Igbo literacy outcomes between sixty children enrolled in community reading clubs and a control group of fifty-eight children receiving only standard school instruction over a twelve-week intervention period. Assessment instruments include standardised Igbo reading comprehension tests, oral fluency rubrics, and parental literacy engagement surveys. Findings reveal that reading club participants recorded a statistically significant improvement in Igbo reading accuracy and comprehension scores, with a mean gain of thirty-one percent compared to nine percent in the control group. Parental involvement and access to illustrated Igbo storybooks emerged as the strongest predictors of improved literacy outcomes. The study recommends the formalisation of community reading club initiatives under state education board supervision and the increased production of culturally relevant Igbo children's literature. Keywords: Igbo literacy, reading clubs, primary education, mother-tongue instruction, Awka.