90 primary schools to receive comprehensive literacy support program

The initiative aims to improve literacy skills in both Kinyarwanda and English among primary school students in Rwanda. The program focuses on primary grades 1 and 2, with plans to expand to grades 3 and 4 by 2016. The literacy support package consists of detailed teacher guides, student reading books, and Interactive Audio Instruction (IAI) programs. These materials are designed to engage students with stories, songs, and games, while supporting teaching and learning with technology. The package includes beautifully illustrated storybooks for teachers to read aloud to students each week, which incorporate language elements that students will study that week. The stories are intended to make reading enjoyable for children and help them develop an awareness of the different sounds in words. The program emphasizes the importance of phonemic awareness, which is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in words. This skill is a stronger predictor of long-term reading and spelling success than other variables such as intelligence, vocabulary knowledge, and socioeconomic status. To develop phonemic awareness, lessons begin with games that help children quickly recognize letters, letter combinations, and words. For example, the "Buzz" game involves the teacher pointing to a letter or word on the board, and students must quickly call out the sound they make. The L3 program also includes a comprehensive numeracy support program, which will be distributed to primary schools along with the literacy materials. Teachers will be trained on new instructional techniques and the use of all materials. The program is being implemented by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), with assistance from partners including Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), Concern Worldwide, International Education Exchange, and the Peace Corps. By 2016, the program will benefit primary grades 1 through 4 in all public primary schools across the country. The Rwanda Education Board (REB) and L3 have produced class instructional materials that are designed to support teachers in effectively building the foundational reading skills that children need. The materials are intended to help teachers build a strong foundation in reading and numeracy, which will enable students to succeed in their future academic pursuits. The program's emphasis on phonemic awareness, engaging lessons, and technology-based instruction aims to improve literacy skills and increase student achievement in Rwanda.