Rethinking literacy: Mobilising local knowledge to bridge the gap in adult literacy programmes in Afghanistan
What if literacy programmes started with the literacy practices that adults already use every day?
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Category: Literacy and Numeracy
Trained teachers are not enough: Why refugee classrooms in Kenya need walls, books and a policy fix before pedagogy can work
Imagine sending a teacher through months of professional training in play-based, learner-centred instruction – and then placing her in a classroom with no walls, no textbooks and no visual materials of any kind.
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The cheapest fix nobody is using: What refugee classrooms in Kenya reveal about the power of formative assessment
In a Grade 3 classroom in Kakuma, a teacher pauses mid-lesson. She asks learners to show thumbs up or thumbs down – do you understand, or not? Some hands go up slowly, uncertainly. She notices, and she changes course before moving on. It costs nothing. It takes seconds. It may…
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Transforming Foundational Learning for All in Nigeria: Evidence for optimism from the PLANE programme
In an increasingly unstable and unpredictable operating environment, the findings and lessons from a recent evaluation of PLANE (Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria) – offer positive and valuable insights about transforming children's experience of primary schooling.
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An innovative approach to improving teaching: Lessons from India
Teaching children to learn to read, write and do basic mathematics are vital building blocks learnt in the early years. These basic skills are essential to continued learning, staying in school and thriving.
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Why children’s literature belongs in conversations on education and inclusion
Access to rich and engaging literature at home is a severe gap for Global South populations, with studies suggesting that access to children’s literature in India is limited to 1 book available for 5 children in urban areas, and 1 book available for every 11 children in rural areas. In…
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Unlocking literacy: The power of parents and cultural heritage
When we think about literacy, our minds often turn to schools, textbooks, and formal lessons. But could the most profound literacy lessons begin long before a child steps into a classroom?
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From Pilot to Policy: Scaling Up Foundational Learning Interventions with lessons from implementation Science
Given the pivotal role of foundational literacy and numeracy skills in education, policies aimed at their development emerge as crucial focal points for scaling up effective interventions. The transition from pilot programmes to policy implementation underscores the transformative potential of scaling up initiatives.
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The impact of the language of instruction on foundational literacy and transitions
The role foundational literacy plays in successful learning outcomes of children and young people is widely recognised. Without a solid development of foundational literacy, children will encounter a wide range of challenges throughout their schooling and potentially in their life outcomes.
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Mapping research on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in sub-Saharan Africa contexts – where are the publications?
Ensuring the quality of learning is paramount for every child’s development and success. Yet, in Africa, one in five children of primary-school age is not enrolled in formal school, and only one in five children reaches the minimum level of proficiency by the end of primary education.
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The status of education in the Somali Region of Ethiopia and overcoming some of the challenges
Despite all of the known benefits of education, the learning crisis persists across the world. In Ethiopia, lower primary in particular is extremely stunted by poor quality learning systems.
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Involving the community in raising children’s foundational learning outcomes: Evidence from India
Achieving basic literacy and numeracy skills is fundamental for successful learning through the schooling cycle. Supporting children to achieve these foundational skills requires not just teachers, but multiple stakeholders working together to enable meaningful understandings and applications of these skills. But, how can multiple stakeholders work together to ensure that…
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