Implementing Pilot Early Grade Reading Program in Morocco

Session Submission Type: Group Panel

Description of Session

The Reading for Success- Small Scale Experimentation (RFS-SSE) project is designed to reflect ongoing collaboration between USAID/Morocco and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MNEVT) to improve reading instruction in Morocco. Conceived as a learning activity, RFS-SSE is designed to develop and test effective approaches to strengthen children’s reading skills in targeted primary schools by improving reading materials and instruction techniques while also enhancing the capacity of schools and communities to deliver high-quality instructional and enrichment programs. The program will develop and test phonemic based reading lessons in Arabic amongst a control group of first and second grade students in 90 schools across eight provinces/four regions in Morocco.

By introducing phonics-based teaching methodologies, the RFS-SSE activity is testing the most effective approaches for strengthening children’s Arabic reading skills in targeted primary schools.

RFS-SSE works in close partnership with the MNEVT to develop reading materials for grades one and two in order to strengthen stakeholder engagement and capacity to improve reading skills in the early grades as part of the MNEVT’s overall curriculum reform efforts. This close capacity-building and co-design relationship has been instrumental into ensuring ownership and building consensus among the key stakeholders. This partnership has accelerated the process to develop and approve the materials and implement the approach in the pilot schools.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Candace Debnam, School-to-School International

Individual Presentations

• Developing learning and training materials - Shamineh Byramji, Chemonics International

• Teacher Training & Coaching - Selma Talha Jebril, Chemonics International

• Assessment/EGRA - Beth Odenwald, School-to-School International

Discussant

• Rida Baidas, Chemonics International