Children in low-income, postcolonial countries such as Malawi have few opportunities with quality reading materials that promote independence as readers. In this study, we argue that access to locally produced text relevant to linguistic and cultural contexts is a fundamental human right for children throughout the world. Situating this study…

Higher education institutions worldwide are transitioning to electronic books which have become a standard platform in providing reading materials. This study investigated the determinants of the adoption of academic e-books by university students in Nigeria. Results showed that a majority of students were aware of electronic books but only 44.5%…

We examined the joint role of parental word reading skills and conventional home literacy environment measures among 320 Filipino low- to middle-income families in Cebu City, Philippines with children aged 5-8 years old. A ranking of parent-reported ratings of their frequency of engaging in home literacy activities and adult literacy practices…

This article advocates for the need to develop a more critical approach to theorizing human rights curriculum and critiques dominant/western liberal interpretation of human rights discourse that claims to be humanitarian and benevolent. Liberal approach to (global) human rights discussion places emphasis on individual rights and views concepts…

This cluster randomized controlled trial tested the impact of school-only and lifewide-learning (LWL) approaches to supporting early-grade learning over 2 years in rural Rwanda. We compare school-only and LWL treatments with a business-as-usual control condition and with each other. Schools in both treatment groups received reading materials and…

Our social studies classrooms are filled with students from many different backgrounds. This article aims to help middle grades (grades 6-8) social studies teachers consider how trade books that feature the global South can be paired with primary historical texts in order to help students develop perspective consciousness. Social studies educators…

Doctoral holders are considered to be key actors in the creation of innovation and knowledge. However, this generalization may not hold true for doctoral holders in all countries. This study sought to assess the scholarly productivity of these highly qualified individuals in Uganda. The investigation is based on data sourced from the 2012 Careers…

In 19 (sub)samples from seven countries (United States, Austria, Germany, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Vietnam, Brazil), we analyzed the impact of parental education compared with wealth on the cognitive ability of children (aged 4-22 years, total N = 15,297). The background of their families ranged from poor indigenous remote villagers to academic…

Over the last three decades scholars promoting the world Englishes paradigm (WE) have worked towards establishing a more positive attitude towards international varieties of English. However, despite the best intentions of Western linguists working in this field, there is an obvious imbalance between the developed and developing world in many…

When asked what Facebook is for, kids will say that it's there to help them make friends. The kids the author celebrated in his early books as "digital natives," capable of seeing through all efforts of big media and marketing, have actually proven less able to discern the integrity of the sources they read and the intentions of the programs they…

Discusses the general inadequacy of material and limited activities available to Senegalese children, particularly regarding books written in their indigenous language (Wolof) and containing culturally relevant messages, and describes efforts by the Demb ak Tey Center for Children to improve these conditions. (JD)

Describes the Ranfurly Library Service, a British charitable institution that supplies books in English to developing nations. The development and organization of the service, financial support, criticisms of the service, the increased involvement of the British Council, and the future of the service are discussed. (CLB)

Relates the author's experiences and thoughts on books and literacy after six months of living and teaching in Zimbabwe. (SR)

The Information Center on Children's Cultures, a division of the U.S. Committee for UNICEF, operates with a reference collection of materials about children in the developing countries. (Author)

This selected, annotated bibliography of information resources in English and/or French is divided into sections on books; documents and articles; UNESCO publications; reference works; and African periodicals. A list of institutions concerned with education in Africa is included, as well as educational documentation and information services in…