USAID Learn to Read Year 3, Quarter 1 Report (October 1– December 31, 2020)

The Activity focuses on non-Lao-speaking children and children with disabilities, working closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and development partners to strengthen the Lao education system. The Activity is implemented by a consortium led by Save the Children (SCI) in partnership with Room to Read (RtR) and Humanity & Inclusion (HI). The Activity improves reading skills by developing and distributing teaching and learning materials, providing support to teachers, and engaging school communities. The approach is flexible and system-strengthening, using a Student Reading Assessment (SAR) to identify and address key gaps that limit reading skill acquisition. The Activity emphasizes MoES ownership and is implemented in close coordination and partnership with MoES and local authorities at the national, provincial, district, and school level. The Activity has three main results: Improved Lao reading ability of pre-primary and first- and second-grade students, Improved classroom instruction through enhanced teacher competencies, and Strengthened community engagement to create a conducive learning environment for improved reading skills. The Activity will reach an estimated 65,313 children over the life of the project, with local-level implementation taking place in four provinces and 16 districts. The Activity has a strong focus on inclusion, with a special emphasis on non-Lao-speaking children and children with disabilities. The Activity works closely with the MoES and local authorities to ensure that the systems-strengthening, school improvement, and community mobilization efforts are complementary and mutually reinforcing. The Activity also coordinates closely with leading donor-funded pre-primary and primary education initiatives in Lao PDR to ensure that the efforts are complementary and mutually reinforcing. The Activity has a strong focus on community engagement, with the goal of creating a conducive learning environment for improved reading skills. The Activity works closely with school communities, particularly parents and other caregivers, to help children learn to read on time. The Activity also engages with local authorities and development partners to ensure that the efforts are complementary and mutually reinforcing. The Activity has a strong focus on teacher support, with the goal of improving classroom instruction through enhanced teacher competencies. The Activity provides support to teachers, including in-service teacher training, classroom observation, and teacher learning circles. The Activity also develops and distributes teaching and learning materials to support teacher instruction.