Teach For Nigeria: Foundational Learning Initiative

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
NGO Name: Teach for Nigeria - Location: Nigeria

THE CHALLENGE

In Nigeria, the urgent crisis of low literacy and numeracy skills among early-grade learners in underserved communities threatens the academic and economic futures of millions of children. Research shows that many students complete primary school without mastering basic reading and mathematical competencies, limiting their potential. Contributing factors include ineffective, rigid teaching methodologies, inadequate teacher training, limited access to quality learning materials, and insufficient parental and community engagement. Teachers, often underprepared, rely on rote memorization, preventing deeper conceptual understanding. 

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Teach For Nigeria is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Nigeria’s future leaders to expand educational opportunities for all children. As part of the global Teach For All network, the organization recruits motivated graduates, professionals, and existing teachers, placing them as full-time educators in underserved schools within low-income communities. Through training and ongoing support, Teach For Nigeria equips Fellows with the skills and leadership to drive change in teaching practices, school culture, and student outcomes. With 95% of school heads reporting significant improvements in classroom environments and student learning, the organization is shaping long-term leadership and transforming education in Nigeria. Teach For Nigeria's Foundational Learning Initiative focuses on improving early-grade education in underserved communities. Using the Teach at the Right Level (TaRL) approach, the program equips teachers (Fellows and Coaches) with evidence-based strategies to foster creativity and critical thinking in young learners. The initiative encourages activity-based learning, integrating interactive games, storytelling, and hands-on activities that stimulate imagination and problem-solving.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

The TaRL framework has truly transformed the learning experience in my classroom, especially for learners like Sarah in Primary 2. She has been one of the most remarkable examples of what’s possible when children are taught at the level that matches their current understanding. Sarah started from the beginner level in her local language and jumped two whole levels to the word level, from beginner, skipping letter level and moving to the next. In English, she moved from the letter level to the word level. What amazes me the most is that Sarah doesn’t just guess or cram, she decodes in her mind, segments the sounds, and then reads aloud. She owns her reading process completely. In numeracy, she is at the subtraction level and confidently solves problems that require place value transfer. During a class verification, the enumerator (Coach) asked her to solve subtraction without counting on her pencil. She took her time and got it right. Now, she’s even attempting division problems and getting many of them correct. One moment that really stood out for me was when Sarah told me she overheard the enumerator saying, “She knows what she’s doing.” She shared that with pride the next day in class. It was such a powerful moment to see a child not only making progress but also understanding her own growth and feeling proud of it. Sarah is proof that the FLN pilot using the TaRL framework is not just effective but also transformational. She’s not only improving, but she’s also inspiring others. I’ve learned so much from this experience and plan to repeat and improve the strategies that worked with her to create a ripple effect in my classroom

Kingsley Muoneke (Fellow), Yewa North Local Government Primary School 1