Teach in students' home language in primary, assess learning levels and differentiate instruction, and align teacher training with language-of-instruction policy¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The brief recommends that systems "use students' home language in primary, building up their literacy in their home language before potentially switching to a second language (L2) as the language of instruction." It further recommends that teachers "integrate ongoing assessment and differentiated instruction into their teaching," grouping children by learning level with adaptable materials like letter charts or word cards, and that teacher training align with the LoI policy and school curriculum, including "capacity building at pre-service training institutions."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Requires assessment of student learning levels, adaptable teaching materials, and alignment of pre-service teacher training with the LoI policy and early grade curriculum.

Constraints¶

• LoI reform involves political and logistical challenges and requires engagement of local-language experts; grouping by level depends on class size.

Target Learners¶

• Primary-school children, including those in multilingual or bilingual classrooms

Target Learning Goals¶

• Foundational literacy in a language students understand; differentiated numeracy and literacy instruction

Related Strategies¶

• Adapt DL2F to local context by aligning with the national curriculum, using authentic local materials, multilingual approaches, and pragmatic low-bandwidth technology integration
• Primary Language Support with Bilingual Texts
• Use students' home language (Marshallese) to supplement English instruction in entry-level ELA courses
• Integrate bilingualism into all instructional settings through districtwide professional learning and in-service coaching

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Foundational Learning. (2023). World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/foundational-learning