Learning

USAID continues to prioritize foundational reading skills and currently funds 19 early grade reading projects across sub-Saharan Africa.

Teachers must teach in the same language that their students use and understand. These language skills, coupled with pedagogical content knowledge and instructional approaches, are essential for providing effective reading instruction.

Reading, the bedrock of literacy, is the foundational skill necessary for all academic progress. Designing high-quality primary grade reading programs is essential to ensuring a pipeline of students who remain in school, achieve educational success, and contribute to economic growth.

Kenya implemented the Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity in 2014. It introduced interventions at the grade 1 level beginning in 2015. Taking its name from the Kiswahili word for “let’s read,” the Tusome program was a five-year, nationwide effort.

In 2010, less than ten percent of Kenya’s primary school-aged children were reading at the national level benchmarks. Ten years later, largely due to the success of the Tusome program, nearly 66 percent of grade two students now read at grade level.

More than 263 million children are out of school around the world, oftentimes due to poverty and conflict. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as in many other countries, Accelerated Education Programs are becoming a more common approach.

Soma Umenye, a USAID reading project, teamed with the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) and the Rwanda Education Board (REB) to lead a three-day workshop for more than 60 stakeholders and partners.

Exciting new approaches for how we measure our efforts, track progress, and apply evidence and learning in the Education sector are on the horizon. This year's gathering of Education specialists at CIES showcased promising trends in this area.