GEEAP-endorsed literacy report global launch

Webinar: Effective Reading Instruction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows

Thursday, December 4, 2025, 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM ET

Webinar recording

The World Bank and the Global Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) hosted a webinar with government representatives and authors of the GEEAP-endorsed paper Effective Reading Instruction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows.

GEEAP is an independent, cross-disciplinary body of renowned researchers co-convened by the World Bank, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and UNICEF. Its mission is to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking in education, focusing on cost-effectiveness at scale, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The report’s main message addresses the learning crisis where a shocking 70% of children in LMICs cannot read and understand a simple text by age ten. Drawing on 151 studies across over 160 languages, the report highlights the evidence from low- and middle-income countries that showcases what has worked: what approaches have led to great reading outcomes and what skills are critical for children to become successful readers. The report concludes that the solution is the systematic adoption of evidence-based instruction, specifically teaching six core literacy skills explicitly, systematically, and comprehensively.

After a presentation by authors of the report, a panel of government and industry stakeholders and academia discussed the implications and promises of the paper as well as implementation challenges.

Speakers:

João Pedro Azevedo, Chief Statistician and Deputy-Director, UNICEF

Martin Benavides (TBC), Director, UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)

Nathanael Bevan, Deputy Director of the What Works Research and Evidence, FCDO

Margaret (Peggy) Dubeck, Consultant

Rachel Glennerster, GEEAP member and President of the Center for Global Development

Rob Jenkins, Lecturer on Education, Faculty Co-Chair

Ben Piper, GEEAP member and Global Education, Gates Foundation

Jaime Saavedra, GEEAP member and Director of Human Development for Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank

S. E. Dr. Carlos Torrendel, Secretario de Educación Ministerio de Capital Humano, Argentina