Evaluation : final report : impact evaluation of the Western Cape emergent literacy intervention in South Africa

The major evaluation questions include: 1. Have Stellar interventions1 increased the language and literacy achievement of targeted learners over time? 2. To what extent has the train-the-trainer model resulted in more effective and knowledgeable teachers and positive language and literacy outcomes for learners? 3. What is the likelihood of sustainability of organizational and beneficiary gains after Stellar interventions end? Khulisa employed a quasi-experimental research design for the impact evaluation. The evaluation found: * The ELIT intervention, incorporating 8 Stellar story modules and an adapted Letters and Sounds Manual, initially increased the language and literacy achievement of learners over the first half of Grade R but this effect diminished by the end of Grade R and disappeared altogether by the end of Grade 1. * The cascade training approach may have had an initial effect but, without provincially mandated support post-July 2016, the intervention advantage appears to have been lost. * Organizational sustainability is beginning to be built but could be improved. For learners to benefit, quality instruction across multiple years is essential.