Many students in kindergarten through middle school do not have the reading instruction that they need in developing countries. According to the Early Grade Reading Assessment conducted by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, up to 90 percent of children are unable to read a single word even after two or three years of schooling.
A report will be presented at this week's 2010 International Literacy Day conference in Washington, DC. The talk will highlight the importance of improving teacher support in countries such as Zambia and Sudan.
RTI International's senior research analyst Amber Gove will discuss the need for improving reading instruction, as a study in South Africa recently revealed that the average teacher does not perform significantly better on a reading test than students in sixth grade.
Also speaking at the conference will be International Reading Association president Patricia Edwards, Jamaican Teachers Association general secretary Adolph Cameron and USAID director of education David Barth. Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education, will also be present.
The event will bring together educators, policymakers, researchers and humanitarians to address the need to strengthen literacy instruction around the world.
