At the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Triennial 2025, The Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) unveiled its latest report, “Effective Reading Instructions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows.” This report provides new insights and practical guidance for strengthening reading instruction in low-and middle-income countries.

The report highlights that literacy is the cornerstone of all learning. Students who develop strong reading skills are more likely to excel across subjects in school and gain access to significantly greater opportunities throughout their lives.
Drawing on around 120 studies from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Middle East – and analysing evidence from over 170 languages – the report identifies two essential skills for proficient reading:
1. Decoding – recognising written letters and converting them into sounds to form words.
2. Language comprehension – understanding the meaning of words, sentences and texts.

To develop these abilities, children need teaching in six areas: oral language skills, phonological awareness, systematic phonics instruction, reading fluency, reading comprehension strategies, and writing skills.
The report urges education policymakers to adopt evidence-based approaches and recommends:

• making a national commitment to ensure all children become skilled readers through effective, evidenced-based methods
• selecting appropriate languages for teaching and provide children with necessary support
• teaching in all six core skills, without expecting children to learn independently
• giving students ample time and opportunity to practice reading diverse texts
• adapting instructions for different languages while following core evidence-based principles
• supporting effective implementation through structured teacher resources and ongoing professional development

GEEAP is an independent group of leading researchers whose recommendations are grounded in rigorous evidence. The panel is co-convened by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development (FCDO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEFF) and the World Bank, to address critical gaps in the education sector.

The report was also supported by Baroness Chapman, Minister for International Development and Africa, who posted on X: Reading is a core life skill. We’re proud to support the new @GEEAP literacy report which supports governments with what works to help every child learn to read.

For further information read the report ‘Effective Reading Instruction in low – and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows’. The GEEAP resources collection also includes the full report and executive summary.