1. Use strong criteria when analyzing current materials
At its inception, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Read Liberia Activity conducted an inventory and evaluation of all teaching and learning materials (TLMs) created under the previous Liberia Teacher Training Project, as well as other core textbooks and story books available on the market. The team prioritized several criteria for evaluating the books, including the following: relevance of themes; quality of plot structures and character development for narratives; gender and inclusion; and strategic use of repetition, humor, suspense, action, and other elements to engage the reader’s interest. Read Liberia also analyzed teacher instruction guides (TIGs) to identify ways to improve pacing, chronology, cross-referencing, gender and inclusion, assessments, differentiated instruction, layout, and font size. Based on these reviews, Read Liberia partnered with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to revise the materials, adding songs to build children’s oral language skills and, based on teacher feedback, improving pacing and reducing the number of letter sounds introduced each week—while still covering all the MOE’s phonics curriculum content. Additionally, Read Liberia added words to the student activity book that the students can easily practice at home. Because some students are learning English as a second language, Read Liberia increased the vocabulary lesson time and added simple vocabulary definitions to the TIG to support teachers’ instruction. Based on student assessment data, Read Liberia also allocated more time to read alouds, reading fluency, and comprehension activities.
2. Plan material revisions as an ongoing process to enable continuous improvement of new editions
Improvements to Read Liberia materials were implemented over two cycles of revisions. Throughout the project, MOE stakeholders, including teachers, and Read Liberia instructional coaches gave feedback on the TLMs. Student assessment data and realities on the ground, such as teacher comfort levels and student home language profiles, also informed the recommended improvements. The MOE should consider undertaking additional revisions in the future to continue improving the materials.
3. Seek collaboration and involvement within ministry teams
At the start of Read Liberia, the Senior Reading Director participated in a two-week MOE Curriculum Syllabus Writing Workshop. This was a valuable opportunity for her to share the Read Liberia instructional approach to reading; as a result, the Read Liberia approach was included in Liberia’s revised curriculum and is being rolled out to every school across the country. The Senior Reading Director also worked with the MOE curriculum team on setting outcomes and competencies related to the teaching of reading, grammar, spelling, and writing. The MOE was involved in the revision cycles, providing detailed feedback on the first set of materials and later participating in a workshop to review data from the first two years of implementation. This close collaboration with the MOE ensured buy-in from all parties and will continue to support the sustainability of early grade reading (EGR) in Liberia.
4. Achieve suitable pace and content of scopes and sequences before developing materials
A scope and sequence is the template and schedule for what is to be taught each day, week, term, and year. Once this is in place, it serves as the framework that all writers, illustrators, and designers refer to when developing a title. During Read Liberia’s review of prior materials, they determined that the pacing in the scopes and sequences of previous materials was too intensive and did not allow sufficient time for students to truly master the skills being taught. As a result of these observations, and in collaboration with the MOE as it revised the materials, Read Liberia slowed the pacing in grades 1 and 2. To align with the MOE’s instructional cycle, the number of scripted lesson plans in the materials was increased from 30 to 36 for the whole school year.
5. Utilize proven methodologies for teaching reading and writing and highlight learning objectives
RTI International’s experiences in Liberia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Nepal, and elsewhere have taught us that effective EGR instruction relies on three core elements:
1. Provide teachers with materials that include structured, daily lessons based on a robust but reasonable scope and sequence with easy-to-understand instruction.
2. Provide students with culturally relevant, grade-appropriate, high-quality reading materials in ample quantities.
3. Provide robust teacher training and follow-up support using coaching tools for monitoring instruction and student outcomes.
In line with international best practices, the Read Liberia instructional approach covers phonological awareness, phonics and word study, spelling, sight words, vocabulary, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, fluency practice, and writing composition. Research indicates that writing is an essential component of a balanced literacy program; therefore, writing is integrated into the regular daily lesson plans. Formative assessment and differentiated instruction are also embedded in the instruction. The Read Liberia materials include independent alphabet letter strips and syllable cards to help students learn alphabet recognition and sight words. Based on teacher feedback, Read Liberia also made the TIGs more user-friendly by clearly noting for teachers exactly what they should write on the blackboard and what page in the student books they should be on for every lesson.
6. Reference gender, disability, and religious minority guidelines at all stages of development
When revising the materials, Read Liberia ensured balance in the frequency of representation of genders in the texts in the student readers,
the read aloud stories, and the supplementary storybooks. Similarly, Read Liberia ensured positive representations of religious minorities and people with disabilities. The Read Liberia team used the USAID Guide on Strengthening Gender Equality and Inclusiveness in Teaching and Learning Materials to achieve this balance. Writers, illustrators, and reviewers should all refer to these guidelines and other MOE guidance in the materials development process.
7. Integrate assessment in instruction as part of ongoing practice and support teachers to undertake differentiated instruction
Read Liberia included formative assessments in the TIGs to help teachers continuously assess students’ learning and to adjust and differentiate instruction based on continuous assessment results. In this way, daily checks are conducted within the flow of instruction. Once a week, the teacher gives a short quiz that is easily administered in a group format; based on the results of the quiz, the teacher assigns the students to groups for extra practice in areas where they need additional support. The TIGs also include guidance to teachers on how to revise and reinforce lessons based on students’ needs.
8. Pilot books with the target audience and research locally produced learning materials prior to new development
To be truly effective, revised teaching materials need to be reviewed and tested by both newly trained teachers and those who have been in practice for many years. Many ministries and project teams have former teachers within their materials development teams. However, for user testing, it is essential to use the target audience where possible. Teachers, coaches, USAID and Read Liberia staff, pedagogical experts, special and inclusive education specialists, and MOE staff have all contributed to improvements in the Read Liberia materials. Grade 1 and 2 teachers, principals, and coaches tested the materials and conducted classroom observations. They also monitored the use of student books in the home, which led the developers to include a list of spelling and sight words in the student books to better enable practice at home. Where possible, teachers and students should be able to give feedback throughout the lifespan of materials.
9. Expect delays in approval, printing, and distribution
Even a ‘light’ revision of existing materials can be extremely time consuming. Quality control measures can be compromised if a production manager is not in place to plan, organize, and track a detailed production schedule. Different stakeholders—such as the MOE steering groups, donors, and implementers—may have their own approval processes that should be considered. Procurement teams should be given ample time for sourcing publishing houses, printers, and distribution companies. Large print runs will require knowledgeable staff, often on site to check and approve all print proofs. Staff travel should be factored in where printing is undertaken outside of the country unless virtual approval processes are possible. Thorough research of requirements for large cross-border shipments is essential.
10. Ensure accessibility and flexibility of material source files
Read Liberia adjusted activities to support students, parents, and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school closures. To support the MOE’s COVID-19 response, Read Liberia developed and recorded radio-based lessons in reading and grammar that corresponded with the TIGs for grades 1 and 2. Content from student books was easily adapted and recorded into radio versions of lessons in collaboration with the MOE Teaching by Radio team. Through listening to the radio content, students were able to actively participate in the lessons by singing, reading, writing, answering questions, and solving problems in ways that imitated the active listening and learning that teachers foster in a classroom. To enable creative uses of the materials in the future, it is important that material source files are fully editable in industry-standard formats so that future implementers and the MOE can easily edit and update materials.
More Information:
The USAID Read Liberia Activity is a five-year (September 2017–September 2022) program that aims at improving early grade reading skills for Liberian students in 640 public schools in grades one and two. Read Liberia also pilot tested a program to develop emergent literacy skills for Liberian students in 60 public kindergarten schools. The Activity is implemented in six targeted counties—Lofa, Bong, Grand Bassa, Nimba, Margibi, and Montserrado. Read Liberia is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by RTI International with Another Option, Brattle Publishing Group, and Diversified Educators Empowerment Program
(DEEP) subcontractors through direct partnership with the Liberian MOE.
USAID/Liberia
Read Liberia Activity
Chief of Party: Trokon Wayne
This report is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Read Liberia Activity. The contents are the responsibility of RTI International and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
