The Accelerated Learning for All (ALFA) Initiative is a structured pedagogy program that gives children foundational literacy skills in 45 days. It proposes a combination of learning materials, pedagogy, curriculum, and teacher training. It does this through paired learning, highly visual reading materials, and improved teacher facilitation skills. Following its deployment, a Rapid Response assessment in Ayensuano District, Eastern Ghana, was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the ALFA initiative. Outcomes include a 68%increase in literacy competence among children who took part in the control analysis. The proportion of learners in Grades 5 and 6 reading at the highest level went up to 34%, up from 18% and from 21% to 47%, respectively.

In this edition of ADEA’s Africa Learning Together (ALT) podcast, officials from India’s Dignity Education Vision International (DEVI), promoters of ALFA, showcase the methodology as another approach to rapidly increase learning outcomes in a sustainable manner. We will explore the structure, cost, and potential for scale of this initiative, with key insights from India and Ghana.