Global Report Urges Evidence-Based Action to End Literacy Crisis in Schools

A major new report, Effective Reading Instruction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows, has shed new light on how to end the global literacy crisis that is leaving millions of children unable to read despite years of schooling. Drawing from over 120 studies conducted across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East—and covering more than 170 languages—the report identifies the specific teaching practices and foundational reading skills that can dramatically improve learning outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Endorsed by the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP), an independent group co-hosted by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF, and the World Bank, the paper calls for urgent adoption of evidence-based, systematic, and inclusive reading instruction to ensure every child learns to read by the end of primary school.

A Global Literacy Emergency

According to the World Bank's 2022 State of Global Learning Poverty report, seven in ten children in LMICs cannot read and understand a simple text by the age of ten—a crisis that continues to erode human capital and limit future opportunities.

The report cites new data from early grade reading assessments (EGRAs) conducted across 48 countries and in 96 languages, covering more than 500,000 students. It found that after three years of schooling, over 90% of students cannot identify letter names, letter sounds, or read simple words at expected proficiency levels.

"These statistics show that millions of children are in school but not learning," said Benjamin Piper, Director of the Global Education Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a GEEAP panelist. "This report advances our understanding of what works for effective reading programs. It shows that the most successful approaches explicitly teach decoding and language comprehension using structured, systematic methods that integrate all core reading subskills."

The Science of Reading: Six Core Skills

The report outlines two overarching skill areas essential for literacy—decoding and language comprehension—and details six interlinked subskills that children must master to become proficient readers:

1. Oral language skills – Developing listening, speaking, and vocabulary comprehension through explicit instruction.

2. Phonological awareness – Teaching children to recognize and manipulate sounds within spoken words.

3. Systematic phonics instruction – Teaching the relationships between letters and sounds so that children can decode unfamiliar words.

4. Reading fluency – Helping children read text accurately and expressively to free up cognitive resources for understanding.

5. Reading comprehension strategies – Equipping learners with techniques to monitor understanding, interpret meaning, and connect reading to prior knowledge.

6. Writing skills – Encouraging writing activities that reinforce reading, spelling, and language comprehension.

These findings confirm that explicit, systematic, and comprehensive reading instruction is far more effective than leaving children to "figure out reading on their own."

Investing Early to Prevent Long-Term Loss

The report highlights that improving early-grade reading is not just an educational imperative but an economic one. Failure to teach children to read early leads to higher costs later—such as remedial education, grade repetition, and school dropouts.

"Learning to read unlocks everything," Piper emphasized. "Improving literacy in the early grades is critical to powering economic growth, innovation, and future participation in the STEM, technical, and health sectors."

Luis Benveniste, World Bank Global Director for Education and Skills, added, "Literacy is the cornerstone of lifelong learning and meaningful employment. When children master literacy early, they are better equipped to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world."

Why Many Children Still Can't Read

The report identifies several systemic challenges that contribute to poor literacy outcomes in LMICs:

• Teacher training gaps: Many teachers lack confidence or training in evidence-based literacy instruction.

• Language barriers: Instruction often occurs in languages children do not speak at home.

• Inadequate classroom materials: Limited access to books and culturally relevant teaching resources impedes reading practice.

• Insufficient instructional time: Early-grade classes frequently prioritize rote learning over reading practice.

Despite these challenges, the evidence shows that well-designed literacy programs—grounded in the science of reading and supported by teachers, materials, and monitoring—can rapidly improve outcomes, even in resource-constrained environments.

Recommendations for Policymakers

The GEEAP report offers a roadmap for governments to reform early literacy education through practical, scalable, and context-sensitive approaches:

• Make a national commitment to literacy: Set clear goals that every child will read proficiently by the end of primary school.

• Use the right language of instruction: Ensure that early reading instruction happens in languages children understand best.

• Deliver explicit, structured teaching: Adopt structured pedagogy that integrates oral language, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and writing.

• Provide time for practice: Create more opportunities for independent and guided reading with diverse, age-appropriate books.

• Adapt to local contexts: Apply evidence-based principles while customizing approaches to linguistic and cultural realities.

• Support teachers: Equip educators with user-friendly teaching guides, ongoing mentoring, and performance feedback.

Nathanael Bevan, Deputy Director of Research at the UK FCDO, emphasized the report's practical impact: "These approaches give policymakers a clear, evidence-informed plan for improving reading in schools. With the upcoming 'how-to' guide, they can tailor solutions to local languages, contexts, and education goals."

A Shift from Crisis to Solutions

For Pia Rebello Britto, UNICEF's Global Director for Education and Adolescent Development, the report represents a critical turning point: "This paper shifts the conversation from crisis to solutions that work. 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 findings have been hailed as a landmark for governments, development agencies, and educators seeking practical guidance on reforming reading instruction.

Next Steps: From Research to Implementation

Following the report's launch, an accompanying "How-to Guide" will be released to help policymakers and practitioners apply the findings at the classroom level. The guide will include localized frameworks for adapting instruction across different linguistic and cultural contexts.

In addition, translated versions of the report and language-specific briefs—in Spanish, French, Arabic, and Hindi—will be available starting in November 2025, alongside a global webinar hosted by GEEAP, the World Bank, UNICEF, and the FCDO.

As global education systems strive to recover learning losses exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this new evidence provides a powerful blueprint for change. It reaffirms that literacy is not just a subject—it is the foundation of learning, equity, and opportunity.