The Literacy, Language and Learning Initiative (L3), funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by a partnership led by the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is designed to improve grades 1 to 4 students’ reading and mathematics skills. L3 is assisting the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) in the implementation of a comprehensive early literacy and mathematics program, including support for transition to English as a medium of instruction in the 4th grade. L3 helps MINEDUC develop and implement new national standards for literacy (in English and Kinyarwanda) and numeracy. Working in collaboration with MINEDUC and USAID, L3 works with pre-service and in-service facilitators to introduce proven reading and mathematics teaching strategies and with community volunteers to support struggling learners. The initiative also aims to improve the availability and use of innovative reading and math instructional materials. Teachers’ and students’ English language skills will be reinforced through interactive audio programs.

Specifically, L3 aims to:

• Develop a shared vision of effective literacy/numeracy instruction and tools to measure progress with respect to that vision,

• Develop an instructional literacy/numeracy package based on standards and instructional models and incorporate this package into schools and teacher training institutions, and

• Produce and distribute teaching and learning materials.