A new study, based on 120 studies on effective reading instruction conducted across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and covering more than 170 different languages, finds that training educators in evidence-backed instruction—as in the Science of Reading—could help solve the global literacy crisis, while recognizing that “home-language instruction consistently produces better reading outcomes than second-language instruction.”
Effective Reading Instruction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows synthesizes the growing research from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It identifies key skills pupils must learn, and that teachers must learn to teach, to effectively support the acquisition of literacy.
A study that analyzed data from early grade reading assessments (EGRAs) from over 500,000 students across 48 LMICs in 96 languages revealed the depth of the crisis—after three years of schooling, over 90% of students can’t identify letter names, letter sounds, or read simple words.
The report, by the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP https://geeap.com/), a panel of experts that is co-hosted by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, UNICEF, and the World Bank, suggests that investing in proven reading methods during children’s early school years is likely to reduce the need for expensive remedial programs later, decrease grade repetition, and lower dropout rates.
“This report advances our understanding of what works for effective reading programs by bringing together a wide range of new evidence from low- and middle-income countries. It shows that the most effective approaches teach decoding and language comprehension through instruction that is explicit, systematic and comprehensive. Leaders prioritizing literacy can act now by adopting proven, cost-effective models—like structured pedagogy—that integrate the core reading subskills and support teachers to build them in the classroom.” says Benjamin Piper, director, Global Education Program, Gates Foundation and GEEAP Panelist.
This research shows that two main sets of skills are needed for reading—decoding and language comprehension, and that to develop these skills, children need to be explicitly instructed in the following sub-skills: oral language skills, phonological awareness, systematic phonics, reading fluency, reading comprehension strategies, and writing skills.
Pia Rebello Britto, UNICEF global director, Education and Adolescent Development, notes: “This paper is a landmark contribution to global literacy discourse, shifting the conversation from crisis to solutions that work for children. It makes a compelling economic case for investing in early literacy—because literacy is where every child’s journey begins, shaping their opportunities and their future.”
The report urges education policymakers to promote evidence-based instruction so more children become skilled readers, recommending that policymakers:
- Make a national commitment to ensure all children become skilled readers through effective, evidence-based instruction.
- Choose appropriate languages of instruction and give children the support they need to learn to read in those languages.
- Deliver explicit, systematic and comprehensive reading instruction in all six core skills. Ensure that instruction is explicit and systematic without leaving children to ‘figure it out on their own.’ Provide students sufficient time to practice reading, including ample opportunities to engage with books, read a variety of texts independently, and build a culture of reading.
- Adapt instruction to language characteristics: the core principles of evidence-aligned reading instruction are universal, but successful programs tailor instruction to address contextual needs.
- Focus on effective implementation by providing teachers with structured support, user-friendly materials, and ongoing professional development.
Nathanael Bevan, deputy director Research, FCDO, comments on the practical use for the report findings and the upcoming how to guide: “These approaches offer policymakers a practical evidence-informed plan for improving reading in schools. They can be aligned to local contexts, cultures, languages, and goals, using the accompanying how to guide to help tailor implementation.”
How-to guides will be released alongside translated versions of the report and language briefs detailing how the findings impact teaching in Spanish, French, Arabic and Hindi. These will be released later in November around the global webinar launch.
To download the report, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/global-education-evidence-advisory-panel