Books help, but teachers have to know what to do with books!
Although helpful, complementary reading materials alone cannot teach children to read. Effective teachers are also an essential element of effective instruction. For teachers to be able to fully implement a reading program, they must have materials that suport implementation. The Read Malawi program created several supporting materials for teachers, including 90 teachers’ guides and an overview guide. The teachers’ guides were linked directly to the national curriculum and provided teachers with innovative ways of developing literacy and subject area skills.
The teachers’ guides were developed in both English and Chichewa. This was done so the English teachers’ guides would coincide with the portions of classroom lesson time spent on English, while the Chichewa guides would coincide with the portion of classroom lesson time spent on Chichewa. The guides for English complimentary books were written with close attention to support Second Language practices.
The teachers' guides support teachers in the teaching of reading strategies, including (a) word identification/knowledge, (b) fluency strategies and (c) comprehension strategies. All three types of skills and strategies are important for young and beginning readers.
