3. The key components of successful literacy programs – highlighting elements that foster local context and inclusion – Part 2

• In Event: Achieving reading skills in a contextualized, inclusive way to mitigate the risk for conflicts – what does evidence-aligned reading instruction tell us?

Proposal

The second part of the presentation will show that these evidence-based teaching methods work best when adapted to local realities to promote inclusion and reduce social divisions.
While explicit instruction in core reading skills is essential across all alphabetic and alphabet-like languages, the way that each skill is taught should be tailored to different contexts.

Effective literacy programs navigate two critical variations.
- First, students in the same classroom often read at very different levels ; instruction must meet students where they are so those who are behind build foundations before moving on.
- Second, different linguistic contexts demand distinct approaches — for instance, languages with more complex spelling systems call for more time on phonics. Many LMICs are highly linguistically diverse, with children speaking a wide range of languages. In these settings, the strongest results come when children from linguistic minorities first learn to read in the language they speak at home. This evidence-based approach boosts literacy, strengthens inclusion, and helps bridge social divisions.

This presentation will also bring in some examples from multiple countries.
The presenter will also highlight some challenges that countries face when implementing the recommendations, especially in countries with a large number of “home languages”.
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1) A GEEAP paper from 2023 shows evidence for successful programs that adjust to the level of the child, including “Teaching at the Right Level (TARL)”. 2023 Cost-Effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning - What does recent evidence tell us are “Smart Buys” for improving learning in low- and middle-income countries? [K. Akyeampong, T. Andrabi, A. Banerjee, R. Banerji, S. Dynarski, R. Glennerster, S. Grantham-McGregor, K. Muralidharan, B. Piper, S. Ruto, J. Saavedra, S. Schmelkes, H. Yoshikawa]. London, Washington D.C., New York. FCDO, the World Bank, UNICEF, and USAID.

Author

• Jaime Saavedra, The World Bank Group