Literacy, Library, & Reading Initiative
Literacy is a fundamental human right, and for those on the margins of society, illiteracy is their most significant challenge. Students who are behind in reading in early elementary school are often entrenched in a vicious cycle where struggling to catch up to meet academic demands is a losing battle.
Abako seeks to change that reality for children in underserved communities by implementing a literacy, library, and reading project. This ambitious initiative has four phases:
1) Creation of school libraries and reading corners.
2) Curriculum adaptation to target specific literacy and reading objectives.
3) Teacher capacity building to strengthen reading pedagogy.
4) Assessment to measure impact and learning outcomes.
I. Creation of school libraries and reading corners
In some schools, Abako adapts existing classrooms into school libraries; in others, it sets up reading corners in every classroom. Abako equips libraries with books and materials so that teachers and children focus on what matters most: developing a love for books, literacy, and reading.
Abako libraries and reading corners are safe spaces for the entire school community. These reading spaces promote a low-stress environment where safe behaviors are encouraged and positively monitored, and children are noticed, appreciated, respected, and rewarded with care.
Abako reading spaces are created, painted, and adapted by teachers whenever possible. Parents and students often contribute with themes fitting the local context. And, as allowed, teachers use recycled materials to decorate them. As a result, these spaces offer students good books to learn, imagine, create, dream, speak, write, and think.
II. Curriculum adaptation
Abako aims to acquaint children with books, learn to read, and develop a love for reading. To do this, teachers identify specific SMART objectives embedded in their mandated curriculum to teach children literacy, reading skills, and content that is achievable and relevant. These objectives are time-specific and include measuring mechanisms for learning.
Learning objectives are adjusted to allow children to review, practice, and consolidate newly acquired knowledge and skills. Teachers report progress regularly to identify areas that need further support from the Abako team.
Expert educators select books that are age and level appropriate for all students. In some settings, we allow junior and high school students to suggest titles of interest.
III. Teacher capacity building
Teachers are indispensable in carrying out Abako’s literacy and reading project across three countries with profound educational needs. Long before the pandemic, these teachers worked under difficult circumstances and lacked basic resources. After two years of disrupted school attendance and working from home, teachers are emotionally depleted and weary of educational barriers.
For Abako, teachers are vital allies who can change and shape children's lives. Therefore, their capacity-building is essential for their own and their students' success. To that end, Abako teams in-country and local experts offer free online and in-person workshops, multi-day teacher training sessions, and on-site follow-up visits to support implementing the literacy and reading project.
Abako has 58 operating school libraries and reading corners at preschool, elementary, junior, and high school levels, with more schools in the planning stages.
The collective teacher efficacy demonstrated by teachers working directly in this initiative is astounding. Abako has challenged them to set clear teaching objectives, use effective pedagogy, monitor and report progress, and make adjustments to build student self-efficacy.
TEAM VOICE
"Our work is teacher-centered because they are the best resources for implementing the reading program. Our reading program has shown that books immerse children into different worlds while supporting their language development, reading ability, and writing skills. Only by reading do children develop a love and habit for reading. Reading empowers children and strengthens their self-esteem."
~ Ajit Kumar
IV. Assessment
Abako's literacy and reading initiative implementation started in late 2021 in India, followed by Mexico in early 2022, and Mali will begin in mid-2023. This program provides public school students (ages 3-17) and their teachers with a strategic plan, resources, and books to improve reading outcomes and instill a love for books and reading. Our schools commit to working with Abako for at least two years so we can measure learning over time.
Our team evaluates the program in terms of what works, with which groups, and in what contexts to ensure that our initiative meets the changing needs of schools, teachers, and students. Because we value evidence-based practices, we work diligently to appraise teacher and student learning systematically.
