USAID Funded Malawi Teacher Professional Development Support (MTPDS) Program Facilitator's Manual

The project supports the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in various endeavors, including the implementation of the new primary curriculum, Continuous Professional Development, Information Management Systems, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Policy, to improve the quality of education in Malawi. Improving early grade literacy and numeracy among students in primary schools is one of the core indicators of MTPDS. To achieve this goal, the project is implementing an early grade reading intervention in Salima and Ntchisi, which aims to develop basic literacy skills and knowledge among students. The program focuses on teaching reading in the early grades in Chichewa, introducing foundational skills such as letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, syllable reading, word reading, and oral reading fluency, as well as listening and reading comprehension. The training manual for this program is designed to provide teachers, headteachers, and Primary Education Advisors (PEAs) with training on how to effectively teach reading in the early grades in Chichewa. The manual focuses on effective practices that teachers use in teaching reading, as well as some practices that can be used to teach any subject matter. The examples contained in the manual include basic skills such as phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and letter sound identification that support teachers in assisting students in early grades to read and write in Chichewa. The training program is a 4-day workshop that includes activities such as welcome and introductions, establishing norms, and explaining the purpose of the workshop. The facilitators' manual provides a detailed outline of the activities and exercises that will be conducted during the workshop. The manual also includes a song, "Kusukulu nkwabwino taphunzira MAME," which is sung during the welcome and introductions session. The early grade reading intervention program is a key component of the MTPDS project, which aims to develop basic literacy skills and knowledge among students in primary schools. The program focuses on teaching reading in the early grades in Chichewa, introducing foundational skills such as letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, syllable reading, word reading, and oral reading fluency, as well as listening and reading comprehension. The training manual for this program provides teachers, headteachers, and Primary Education Advisors (PEAs) with training on how to effectively teach reading in the early grades in Chichewa. The Malawi Teacher Professional Development Support Project is a collaborative effort between the Malawi Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to improve the quality of education in Malawi by supporting the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in various endeavors, including the implementation of the new primary curriculum, Continuous Professional Development, Information Management Systems, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Policy.