USAID and Madagascar’s Ministry of National Education have been working on an innovative approach to improve how young Malagasy school children learn to read. Together they launched a 7-month pilot project to provide better training for teachers and new learning materials for beginning readers: Mahay Mamaky Teny – “We Know How To Read!” PRINCIPAL: My name is Rakotomandrindra Pascal Herinaivo… …and you can call me Hery. I am the principal of the… … Ambohitrinibe public elementary school I think this new program helps the kids increase their reading skills. TEACHER: I read IT first, then I read it together with the kids, …and finally the kids read on their own. My name is (Ms.) Rakotoarimanga Haingo and I am a Grade 1 teacher. The pilot project was initially done in 8 schools and then expanded up to 60 schools, with help from the World Bank. As part of the project, new teaching and reading materials were developed for the classroom. I have noticed a big improvement in the kids’ reading skills. Earlier, the kids only knew how to read the alphabet from A to Z, But now they can read whole sentences and a short paragraph. They like the book’s contents, the letters … … and they easily learn. The Mahay Mamaky Teny project will help inform decision-making for the government’s new Education sector plan. Question: What do you like learning the most? Answer: I like reading. (Kids cheering) We know how to read!