Foundational Learning 101: A Policy Implementation Checklist

Recently, the PFL Hub travelled across Pakistan to Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh to support provinces in the early stages of their foundational learning policy implementation phase. Policy implementation can be a messy and complex process, so we wanted to distil our advice to the basics: what are the essentials that policymakers should try to get right to ensure that the implementation of foundational learning happens in practice? This is our Foundational Learning 101:

1. Ensure political will and find champions

Policy implementation needs political commitment and champions at all levels; find champions in the government who take ownership of the movement and lead it.

2. Provide children with storybooks in a language they understand

Children need workbooks and storybooks to learn how to read; focus on materials that improve decoding and phonics skills.

3. Provide teachers with foundational learning training

All teachers should be trained on phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as well as numbers and operations.

4. Provide teachers with support materials

Teachers should be provided with scripted pedagogy materials, including lesson plans and teaching guides.

5. Give teachers refresher training, feedback and coaching

Following initial training, teachers need continuous follow-up support to reinforce their learning.

6. Give schools good assessment tools

Schools need quality tools to assess children’s learning levels, and departments need to collect and analyse data on children’s progress.