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If your report shows that a low percentage of students can read at grade level, this is an opportunity to strengthen early literacy instruction. Below is a list of practical resources and programs to improve literacy, followed by local partners who offer support. Prioritize implementing structured reading interventions (e.g. Tusome guides, remedial tutoring) and seek literacy support from partners. Track progress with formative assessments to see if scores improve after interventions.
Tools and resources
Tools and resources
hosts books and videos with local creators from around the world to encourage children to love to read. They have 3000+ professionally produced children’s books in 40+ languages, and 700+ videos of books being read aloud, library management guidelines, and much more.
Room to Read | Kenya
Bilingual (Swahili with English translation), child friendly resources to facilitate self-directed and self-paced learning suitable for both native and non- native speakers to support reading, writing, comprehension and speaking competencies.
SwahiliKids | Kenya
An open-access platform for picture storybooks in numerous African languages, including Swahili
Swahili Children's Book | Kenya
Tusome Early Literacy Program Materials
Teacher’s Guides and Pupils’ Books (Grade 1 and 2) are freely available for download in English and Kiswahili. Tusome is a national-scale program for improving the reading skills of learners in grades 1 and 2.
RTI International | Kenya
OneCourse by onebillion is an interactive learning software for foundational literacy and numeracy that has been used in East Africa. It is designed to work on tablets offline, covering basic reading and math skills through adaptive lessons.
Onebillion | Kenya
Provides a dedicated Extensive Reading library for beginners, including miniature books and vocabulary flashcards
SwahiliPod101 | Kenya
Hadithi! Hadithi! is a mobile app developed by eLimu that promotes early reading through interactive stories in local contexts.
Hadithi! Hadithi! | Kenya
The Global Digital Library (GDL) is an open online library with high-quality reading resources for early grades in numerous languages.
Global Digital Library | Kenya
Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Remedial Program
Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Remedial Program is a pedagogical approach that, instead of teaching strictly by grade, assesses and groups students by current ability level. Teachers then use fun, level-appropriate activities to build foundational skills from what each child knows.
Tarl Africa | Kenya
Ubongo's fun and educational content helps kids learn through play, sing along to catchy tunes, and develop essential life skills—all while having a blast!
Ubongo | Kenya
Other resources and case studies
Other resources and case studies
Making Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Inclusive for Children with Special needs
Dalberg and Sol's Arc
Local partners
Local partners
Room to Read
Connect for: Resources and tools
LINK
Zizi Afrique Foundation
They run an Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) for literacy and numeracy in upper primary (Grades 3–5) that uses a camp-style, TaRL-inspired model. In pilot counties (e.g. Turkana, Tana River, Bungoma), this program helped learners who could not read Grade 2 texts to start reading within 20–30 days of intensive support. It uses teacher assistants re-tooled with special strategies to rapidly build skills through play-based learning. Zizi Afrique can provide training or materials for schools interested in running short-term remedial “camps” or pull-out sessions to boost basic literacy/numeracy. They also help schools assess learners to identify who needs remedial support.
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SwahiliKids
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LINK
RTI International / Tusome Support
RTI led the implementation of Tusome and has an office in Kenya. While Tusome itself was a government program, RTI’s SharEd portal makes all the teacher guides and pupil books available for free, and RTI experts often conduct workshops on early grade literacy. Schools or associations can reach out to RTI for guidance on using the Tusome materials or even to connect with former Tusome trainers. Their technical expertise (e.g. on how to coach teachers in using structured lessons) can help an LFPS implement these practices effectively.
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Worldreader’s Booksmart App
Connect for: Resources and tools
LINK
Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA)
County Education Offices (Ministry of Education)
Even though LFPS are non-state, County Directors of Education and zonal education officers can be allies in improving learning. They can share any available remedial program guides, or include LFPS teachers in government-run trainings for early grade literacy/numeracy (for instance, if a new phonics training or math teaching workshop is happening for public schools, sometimes private school teachers may join). It’s worth reaching out to county officials with the IFL report data – they may advise on interventions or even pair the school with a high-performing public school for mentorship in reading instruction.
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