The Malawi Institute of Education (MIE) has commenced a 12-day intensive workshop to develop Chichewa literacy Teacher’s Guide and Learner’s Book for Grade 1, aimed at ensuring learners achieve reading fluency by Grade 2.
The workshop, which runs from 19th to 30th October 2026 in Liwonde, is being supported by Prevail Fund and has brought together curriculum specialists, Chichewa language experts, practising teachers, and illustrators.
The new materials will adopt an integrated approach to teaching Chichewa literacy, with a focus on the syllabic approach, which teaches learners to decode and build words from syllables and is considered more natural for Bantu languages. This will be complemented by elements of phonics and whole-word approaches. The materials will undergo classroom testing in selected schools to gather evidence on what works and will be refined before national rollout to ensure effectiveness.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Director of the Directorate of Quality Assurance (DQAS), Ms Lindiwe Chide, emphasized the need for quality and relevance in the materials.
In his remarks, the Acting Executive Director of MIE, Mr Jennings Kayira commended Prevail Fund for the support and called for extended partnership to address challenges in English literacy:
“We appreciate the support from Prevail Fund in strengthening foundational literacy. As we improve Chichewa literacy, we also have a pressing need in English. We ask Prevail Fund to consider supporting the development of English instructional materials that emphasize English as a Second Language, with a strong focus on oral language proficiency”, he said.
The workshop is expected to produce a draft Learner’s Book and Teacher’s Guide for Grade 1.