USAID Learn to Read Year 1, Quarter 3 Report (April 1 – June 30, 2019)

The Activity began in 2018 and will end in 2023, with a goal of reaching an estimated minimum of 65,313 children over the life of the project. The Activity is implemented by a consortium led by Save the Children, which includes Room to Read and Humanity & Inclusion. The Activity works closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) and development partners to strengthen the Lao education system with evidence-based approaches. The Activity has a flexible, system-strengthening approach to addressing key gaps that limit reading skill acquisition. This approach emphasizes MOES ownership and reinforces government and non-government national, provincial, and local-level systems through co-design and co-implementation. The Activity has a Strategic Opportunities Fund (SOF) available to provide flexibility in responding to unanticipated gaps, needs, and opportunities. The SOF can be used to expand into new languages, new locations, or alternative media such as community radio. The Activity is being implemented in close coordination and partnership with the MOES and with leading donor-funded education initiatives to ensure that the systems-strengthening, school improvement, and community mobilization efforts are complementary and mutually reinforcing. The Activity has partnered with Global Partnership for Education (GPE II) to support the MOES Research Institute for Educational Sciences (RIES) to develop a Reading Readiness (RR) and instructional materials package for Pre-Primary (PP-RR). In Year 1, GPE II, RIES, and the Activity are working to jointly develop one program for reading readiness in collaboration with other development partners through the newly established RR Task Team. The Activity is also working closely with UNICEF and the MOES Early Childhood Education (ECE) department to ensure alignment of the PP-RR package with the Pre-Primary curriculum during the 2019 revision. The Activity is collaborating with MOES-RIES to develop a Reading Improvement (RI) package for students in Grades 1 and 2. The RI package will be designed to improve reading skills for all children, with a focus on the inclusion of non-Lao-speaking children and children with disabilities. The Activity will develop and distribute teaching and learning materials, train and support teachers, and engage school communities to help children to learn to read on time. The Activity is being implemented in 16 districts in four provinces of Lao PDR, with a focus on the provinces of Attapue, Champasak, Xiengkhouang, and Vientiane. The Activity has a strong emphasis on community mobilization and school improvement, with the goal of creating a supportive environment for children to learn to read. The Activity is also working to strengthen the capacity of MOES and other stakeholders to implement and sustain the interventions in the future. The Activity has a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) system in place to track progress and identify areas for improvement. The MEAL system includes regular data collection and analysis, as well as a system for reporting and responding to issues and concerns. The Activity is committed to transparency and accountability, and is working to ensure that all stakeholders are informed and engaged throughout the implementation process. Overall, the USAID Learn to Read Activity is a comprehensive and ambitious project that aims to improve the reading skills of children in Lao PDR. The Activity has a strong focus on community mobilization, school improvement, and capacity building, and is working to create a supportive environment for children to learn to read.