A new report has been released addressing the global literacy crisis among children, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The report, titled "Effective Reading Instruction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows," reviews about 120 studies from regions including Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. It covers research conducted in more than 170 languages and identifies essential skills that students must acquire and teachers must be able to teach for effective literacy instruction.
The report is endorsed by the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP), an independent group of education experts co-hosted by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF, and the World Bank.
According to the 2022 World Bank State of Global Learning Poverty report, seventy percent of children in LMICs cannot read or understand simple text appropriate for their age. In some countries, even after several years of schooling, many children remain far below expected reading proficiency levels. Data from early grade reading assessments involving over 500,000 students across 48 LMICs showed that after three years of school, more than 90% could not identify letter names or sounds or read simple words at expected levels. The report highlights that not using evidence-based teaching methods is a key reason for this problem. Improving teaching practices during children's early school years can help reduce future remedial program costs, decrease grade repetition rates, and lower dropout rates.
Benjamin Piper, Director of the Global Education Program at the Gates Foundation and GEEAP Panelist said: “Learning to read unlocks everything. This report advances our understanding of what works for effective reading programs by bringing together a wide range of new evidence from low- and middle-income countries. It shows that the most effective approaches teach decoding and language comprehension through instruction that is explicit, systematic and comprehensive. Leaders prioritizing literacy can act now by adopting proven, cost-effective models—like structured pedagogy—that integrate the core reading subskills and support teachers to build them in the classroom. Improving reading outcomes in the early grades is critical to unleash the human capital pipelines needed to power economic growth, including via the STEM, TVET and health sectors.”
Luis Benveniste, World Bank Global Director for Education and Skills stated: “Literacy is the cornerstone to education, lifelong skills, and meaningful employment. When children master literacy early, they have better learning outcomes, and are more able to adapt, innovate, and thrive in the rapidly evolving job markets of the 21st century.”
The research identifies two main sets of skills required for reading: decoding—the ability to recognize written symbols as sounds—and language comprehension—the ability to understand words and texts. To develop these abilities effectively in students:
- Oral language skills need targeted classroom instruction.
- Phonological awareness should be taught so children can manipulate sounds within spoken language.
- Systematic phonics instruction helps connect letters with their corresponding sounds.
- Reading fluency allows students to read accurately with proper expression.
- Reading comprehension strategies are necessary for understanding various texts.
- Writing skills support overall reading development.
Pia Rebello Britto, UNICEF Global Director for Education and Adolescent Development commented: “This paper is a landmark contribution to global literacy discourse, shifting the conversation from crisis to solutions that work for children. It makes a compelling economic case for investing in early literacy—because literacy is where every child’s journey begins, shaping their opportunities and their future.”
The report urges policymakers to adopt evidence-based teaching methods nationwide; select suitable languages of instruction; deliver explicit instruction across six core skill areas; adapt programs based on local context; provide teachers with resources; and ensure ongoing professional development.
Nathanael Bevan, Deputy Director Research at FCDO added: “These approaches offer policymakers a practical evidence-informed plan for improving reading in schools. They can be aligned to local contexts, cultures, languages, and goals, using the accompanying how-to guide to help tailor implementation.”
Following this launch there will be an accompanying how-to guide as well as translated versions of both the report and language briefs showing how findings apply across Spanish, French, Arabic and Hindi-speaking contexts.
For further information or access to resources related to this initiative visit the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel webpage.