SBCC Material and Activity Formats for Audiences with Lower Literacy Skills

Interactive formats are particularly important for audiences with lower literacy skills, as they provide opportunities for audiences to interact with new information or content, understand, remember, and interpret content within their own thinking, context, and experiences. Interactive formats can be used across various channels, including interpersonal, community, and mass and social media channels. Storytelling and songs, radio and TV talk shows, role plays and drama, games and game shows, and risk- and body-mapping have been described as the most action-oriented formats. These formats can be used to engage audiences in dialogue or practice skills or behaviors. Oral storytelling and songs do not require a high literacy level and are often easily understood by listeners. In many cultures, these formats are cherished and play an important role in oral histories. Stories and songs have been proven to be an effective format for health and development communication efforts, contributing to reductions in maternal and child deaths in Uganda. Radio and TV talk shows can also be used to influence political decision-making and advocacy, support community health workers, encourage discussion, and provide reliable information around health and other topics. However, SBCC practitioners need to ensure that talk shows are well designed and topics are well scripted, relevant to the context of the intended audiences, and in the languages they use. Role plays and drama can contribute to improved understanding and learning and create space for conversation and dialogue. Through these formats, audiences do not need to be able to read or write to understand and participate because they receive important visual cues. Role plays mirror people's understanding of a certain issue and generate discussion, while drama relies on professionally scripted formats with well-thought-out, focused, and tested primary and secondary storylines. Games are universally loved and have been played since the dawn of civilization. Card games, board games, quiz competitions, puzzles, Bingo, and online games can be used by SBCC practitioners with lower literacy audiences of all ages to promote change and learning. Games are excellent vehicles for maximizing experiential learning and encourage participants to discover things on their own, an important principle of adult learning. Group games require input and active participation from everyone and are often motivating, especially if they involve competition to reach a goal. Games get people to relax, but also provide opportunities for experimentation without negative consequences. Research indicates that socially based learning can have a significant positive effect on retention. SBCC practitioners can use various interactive formats to engage audiences and promote change and learning. By using formats such as storytelling and songs, radio and TV talk shows, role plays and drama, and games, practitioners can create opportunities for audiences to interact with new information or content, understand, remember, and interpret content within their own thinking, context, and experiences.