Learning to read, write, and to work with numbers are basic human rights. Providing opportunities for all to acquire these basic life skills is a major challenge. Because of the great variety of learners (young and old) and the variety of contexts for learning (rural and urban, in school and outside of school) around the world, there is no one best method of instruction.

Both research and practice are useful guides in designing effective literacy education. Research has consistently demonstrated the value of balanced instructional approaches that combine direct teaching of core skills with applications of these skills in meaningful activities.

Critical examination of successful literacy programs will yield lessons that can be applied to teaching and learning in many additional and varied contexts. However, experience shows that what works in one context with one group of learners may need to be adapted to work with other learners in other contexts.

The following projects examine the role of teaching and learning in language acquisition and literacy instruction:

Basic Numeracy Learning In and Out of School:
Maths on the Streets, Brazil

Enriching Basic Literacy Instruction:
Tok Ples, Papua New Guinea