The effect of teacher training and community literacy programming on teacher and student outcomes

This randomized controlled trial evaluated two early-grade literacy interventions in rural Mozambique: teacher training and literacy materials through the Unlock Literacy program, and a combined approach that added community-led reading camps. Conducted across 160 public primary schools, the study assessed impacts on student literacy, teacher practices, attendance, and school engagement. The interventions produced modest improvements in some reading skills, particularly among students with the lowest literacy levels, but did not improve teacher knowledge or classroom practices, attendance, or school management. The findings suggest that light-touch, scalable literacy interventions may have limited impact on learning outcomes, highlighting the need for more intensive and sustained support to drive meaningful gains in early-grade reading.