The Read Liberia Activity will provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education (MOE) to improve early grade reading (EGR) skills for an estimated 172,800 students in grades 1 and 2 in 640 schools over five years.  The Activity will also pilot a model for improving oral vocabulary for 5,400 kindergarten students in 60 centers over two years. Read Liberia is implemented in six counties (Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado and Nimba). The aim is to improve early grade reading classroom instruction and increase the Liberian Government’s commitment to improve evidence-based reading outcomes.

Current Activities

• Produce actionable, Ministry of Education endorsed plans to support and monitor evidence-based approches and to implement policies in support of Early Grade Reading (ERG);
• Develop or review, print, distribute and use evidence-based reading books and instructional materials that must be validated by the Ministry;
• Improve inservice training in EGR instruction and teacher coaching and supervision;
• Provide non-monetary incentives for teachers implementing evidence-based reading programming;
• Collaborate with the MOE to develop and implement performance standards for teachers and students;
• Improve data collection, analysis, and reporting systems and conduct research on factors related to EGR;
• Improve parents, community based organization’s  ability to support and monitor EGR; and
• Establish Public-Private Partnerships to support EGR

Accomplishments to Date

• Reached 38,164 students (19,054 girls and 1,19,110 boys)  in 640 public and community primary schools in six counties;
• Distributed 48,029 text books and other teaching and learning materials to 640 public primary schools;
• Trained 1,082 primary school teachers and 1,040 education administrators; and 
• Increased collaboration with the Ministry of Education leading to the adaptation of some of the key features of the Read Liberia early grade reading approach into the national revised curriculum.