First Principles: Designing Effective Early Reading Programs

This First Principles of Designing Effective Early Reading Programs Digest provides an overview of strategies for promoting early reading in developing countries. The principles, steps, and indicators are primarily meant to guide program designs, including the development of requests for and subsequent review of proposals, the implementation of program activities, and the development of performance management plans, evaluations, and research studies. The First Principles are intended to help USAID education officers specifically, as well as other stakeholders– including staff in donor agencies, government officials, and staff working for international and national non-governmental organizations– who may be tasked with promoting, developing, and implementing gender-focused programs.

Early reading is being given special importance in the international development arena as it is seen as the fundamental building block for all academic learning. The guidance in this document is meant to be used and adapted for a variety of settings to help USAID officers, educators and implementers overcome the numerous challenges in addressing gender issues and understand the importance of working on policy environments, and of the multiple entry points for creating or improving early reading programs. The last section provides references for those who would like to learn more about issues and methods for promoting effective early reading.