A New Way to Learn: How Roots to Rise Is Transforming Classrooms in Uganda

At around 11:00 in the morning at Bululu Primary School in Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda, the bell for the free period rings, and learners burst out of their classrooms, scattering across the school compound. Among them, a group of 38 children make a beeline for the shade of a jacaranda tree nestled just beside the school’s chapel building. There, the learners eagerly await the arrival of their teacher, Monica Namaganda, an instructor known for her jolly demeanor and infectious love of learning.

Building Tomorrow (BT) works with district-level officials to identify schools in need of BT’s programming. Once established, Building Tomorrow Fellows – BT’s field staff – coordinate with school leadership to identify which teachers are best placed to implement Roots to Rise and how best to integrate the program into the weekly school schedule. At the start of 2024, Monica was trained by BT Fellow Christine Nasiwa in BT’s Roots to Rise methodology. Monica now set aside an hour each school day to conduct Roots to Rise camps for her learners. Following the Teaching at the Right Level approach at the core of Roots to Rise, Monica groups her learners based not on age but on reading, writing, and math abilities. For 60 minutes, the usual classroom routines are replaced by a lively session under the shade of a tree, where students use their environment and available materials to participate in literacy and numeracy lessons. This daily Roots to Rise lesson creates a space where students can catch up and learn at their own pace. Additionally, “the children love it because it’s different. They’re not stuck in a classroom—they’re outside, playing and learning at the same time,” Monica notes.

Like many children in sub-Saharan Africa, children in Uganda have long trailed their peers around the world in learning outcomes. The World Bank reports that nearly 9 out of 10 children cannot read and understand a simple text by the age of 10. Without the ability to read, write, or perform basic math, children slip through the cracks and often fall behind in their studies.

Monica, who has been a teacher for 21 years, says she’s never seen children enjoy learning as much as they do in the Roots to Rise camps: “My learners really love Roots to Rise,” she says. “They enjoy playing while learning.” And the camps are effective: “My students have made huge improvements in math, reading, and writing.”

When Monica was trained in Roots to Rise, she felt it was a revelation. She learned teaching methods that transformed how she supports her learners: “At the training, [the Building Tomorrow Fellows] showed us techniques I had never seen before – methods that make learning so much easier,” Monica explains. This new approach not only energized her teaching style but also increased her students’ motivation to learn.

Of the 40 learners in Monica’s Roots to Rise camp, an impressive 96.2% improved by at least one Roots to Rise level in literacy and/or numeracy at the end of the 40 contact hours of instruction. Even more remarkable, 70% of the learners achieved grade-level proficiency in literacy, while 67% reached the same level in numeracy for their respective grades – a testament to the program’s transformative impact.

In 2025, Building Tomorrow’s Fellows will train approximately 1,200 new teachers in the Roots to Rise method, enabling learning champions like Monica to reach even more learners through BT’s program. This effort supports Building Tomorrow’s aim of reaching over 350,000 learners with Roots to Rise in 2025, with a goal of ensuring all children are literate and numerate.