IDENTIFYING THE STATUS AND DETERMINANTS OF EARLY READING SKILL DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF GRADE FOUR STUDENTS IN DARA KEBADO DISTRICT

<strong>Abstract: </strong>The main purpose of this study was to identify the status and determinants of early reading skill development: the case of grade four students in Dar Kebado district. The research was designed in line with a descriptive survey. The major research tools used to collect data were test, questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Accordingly the data obtained from the test revealed that, the level of reading comprehension, accuracy, fluency, vocabulary and letter identification knowledge was very low or poor. The other finding obtained from the questionnaire, supplying enough reading materials for children to read at home, actively parental involvements at school activities with stockholders, provide enough and adequate reading materials for students at school, creating a good approach with students in teaching and learning classroom, were ways of improving students reading skill development. The finding of data from the semi-structured interview showed, lack of qualified teachers and learning resources in the school, parental inability and unwillingness to support their children’s reading skill, a mismatch between mother tongue and language of instruction, and a general lack of interest in reading were core problems shared between all schools. On the basis of these findings, the researcher recommended that, all partners and school community, parents, teachers, and students need to jointly improve and contributes to improving children education especially in the early years