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Read Smart was developed to address persistently low levels of foundational literacy in Zambia, even in the context of strong prior results. Our earlier randomized controlled trial showed highly promising outcomes, with students achieving literacy gains equivalent to 22 additional months of learning. While this was significant, overall reading levels across the system remained too low, especially in the early grades.
National data from USAID’s Let’s Read Zambia project highlights the scale of the challenge. Over 20% of students in Grades 1 to 3 are below minimum literacy levels, and only 27% meet minimum proficiency. Many children fall behind early, making it harder to succeed in later grades.
In response, we sought to go further by identifying and adapting Read Smart for the Zambian context. The aim was to strengthen early grade instruction from the start and ensure more students reach foundational literacy.
Read Smart is an early grade literacy program that uses phonetic charts with speech movement pictures to show how sounds are formed, helping children connect letters to sounds in a clear and visual way. In contrast to memorization-based approaches common in Zambia, Read Smart uses explicit phonics to directly teach and apply sound spelling relationships.
Read Smart Cinyanja is designed in line with the science of reading. Delivered across Grades 1 and 2, the program is fully integrated into the local language instruction lessons during the school day. Students progress from recognizing sounds and forming letters to reading words, sentences, and simple stories with accuracy and confidence.
The program is implemented in structured phases, supported by detailed lesson plans, phonetic charts, and continuous teacher coaching. Teachers receive ongoing training and in-class support to strengthen delivery and ensure consistency. This combination of clear methodology, structured progression, and strong teacher support enables students to build foundational literacy skills and successfully learn to read.
Read Smart has scaled rapidly from a small pilot to broader system adoption. The program began in 2 schools in 2021, expanded to 8 schools and approximately 1,000 students in 2022, and demonstrated strong results across diverse learners, including girls, students from low income households, and those entering school with low baseline skills.
In 2025, we expanded to 40 government schools, reaching approximately 3,500 students. In 2026, the program is growing further with an additional 16 government schools and the launch of a randomized controlled trial to rigorously evaluate impact at scale.
Looking ahead, we will continue to deepen reach within Eastern Province across early childhood centers, community schools, and government schools. Expansion into additional Zambian languages will be guided by the results of the randomized controlled trial.
Read Smart has improved literacy outcomes in very rural and remote villages in Zambia. We believe this solution can be adapted to work in other places. Please contact info@impactnetwork.org to learn more.
