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provide feedback, and revise their written work. This collaborative approach promotes peer interaction, critical HARVARD ALfA CASE STUDY
thinking, and the development of writing skills through shared experiences. It fosters communication and expression
leading to a holistic approach to writing.
The Pedagogy of the Future:
EVIDENCE FOR ALfA: Accelerating Learning for All
Rebuilding Resilient Education Systems After the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Prof. Fernando Reimers et al, Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE)
Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA
Children as young as 6 are able to take turns to read. They are able to learn in pairs “Accelerated Learning for All (ALfA), helps children quickly gain FLN competencies. The pedagogical approach works as
and enjoy doing so. Learning is way more permanent. follows: students start with known words in the form of pictures, identify the sounds, and work backward to the letters.”
“The effect size of the project was 0.23 for Grade 3 students and 0.89 for Grade 5… the results suggest there is significant
value in pursuing the ALFA model in other schools if implemented in a coherent, structured, and coordinated manner.”
“We recommend the UP government (1) incorporate the promising ALfA pedagogy developed by DEVI for the first 6 weeks
to quickly establish a strong FLN foundation, (2) after the ALfA program, shift to the curriculum.”
ALfA’s time efficiency is a result of its focus on early decoding, blending, self-discovery, collaborative learning, and
error control. ALfA represents a disruptive pedagogy that challenges the traditional notions of teaching reading. Quotes above are from Chapter 8: Policy Pathways for Improving Foundational Literacy and
With its emphasis on early decoding, blending, independent learning, and time efficiency, ALfA offers a promising Numeracy in Uttar Pradesh, India
pathway to revolutionize literacy education urgently needed today.
Chapters 8 documents the ALfA program and its results from a Randomized Control Trial conducted in the Shamli
Conclusion district of Uttar Pradesh, that demonstrate a significant effect size of 0.23 for Grade 3 and 0.89 for Grade 5.
Traditional approaches to teaching reading, such as whole language, phonics, and balanced phonics, have shaped
literacy education over the years. However, the ALfA approach stands out as a unique and promising alternative. By In 2022, DEVI Sansthan, at invitation of the Secretary, MOE, India, started implementing ALfA in the Low
focusing on early decoding, blending, independent learning, collaborative error control, and time efficiency, ALfA Performing Districts (LPDs) of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh and Sambalpur in Odisha. The project’s success led to its
accelerates reading proficiency and transforms the way children acquire literacy skills. As educational research and expansion from one district to 15 districts of UP, and adoption by Maldives at the nationwide level, as discussed in
implementation continue to explore the effectiveness of ALfA, it has the potential to redefine the future of literacy Chapter 10 of this book. Several other governments have expressed interest in the program.
education worldwide.
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