Empowering Educators: NABU and 1Million Teachers' Read-Aloud Course Impacts Over 1,500 Students

NABU, in partnership with 1Million Teachers and HP, is proud to announce the successful completion of the "Power of a Read-Aloud Course." This innovative training program, designed to enhance literacy education worldwide, has empowered educators with essential skills and resources to foster a love for reading among their students.

NABU is dedicated to ensuring that children globally have access to the resources and support needed to develop strong reading skills. Recognizing the pivotal role of teachers in this mission, NABU collaborated with 1Million Teachers and HP to create "The Power of a Read-Aloud" course. This comprehensive training program comprises five modules that delve into the science of reading, demonstrate the planning and execution of interactive read-aloud lessons, and provide valuable classroom resources, including a selected NABU example book, a scaffolded lesson plan template, and a read-aloud resource menu.

NABU's connection with 1Million Teachers through HP facilitated this partnership. After learning about 1MT's content creation process, NABU proposed the course idea and content, which was then developed by Learning Designer Judy Paredes and structured by 1MT's Instructional Designer Nic Knorr.

The "Power of a Read-Aloud Course" is meticulously designed to help educators understand the transformative potential of read-aloud sessions in fostering literacy development. The training includes six units, comprising a total of 20 lessons, and has a duration of 90 minutes. The course content, created by Judy Paredes, and structured by Nic Knorr, is hosted on the 1MT platform.

The course has garnered significant interest, with 2,062 educators currently registered. Participants hail from various countries, including Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Romania, and other South African nations, with the majority being primary grade educators. Teacher engagement was assessed through introductory surveys, knowledge checks, assignments, and exit surveys.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. Educators have praised the course for its comprehensive resources and practical approach. Specific reviews and success stories are available on the 1MT course site, showcasing the course's real-world impact.

Participants benefited from a range of resources, including the NABU Read-Aloud Resource, Lesson Plan Template, Audio Examples, and NABU storybooks. Among these, the NABU storybooks were frequently highlighted as particularly helpful. These resources played a crucial role in guiding educators during the assignment portion of the course and in organizing interactive read-aloud sessions.

While there are no immediate plans to rerun or expand the course, NABU and 1Million Teachers remain committed to supporting educators. Minor updates will be made to the course based on user feedback from the exit surveys. Though there are no upcoming collaborations currently planned, NABU and 1Million Teachers continue to explore opportunities for future initiatives.

“At NABU we strive to accelerate literacy for all children through engaging culturally relevant multilingual storybooks. We recognize that educators are critical stakeholders in every child’s journey to reading, and so we wanted to provide educators everywhere with a course designed to enhance their working knowledge of interactive read-alouds and their impact on a child’s reading development. Interactive read-alouds are powerful tools for accelerating both language comprehension and word recognition skills, as well as engagement. We’re thrilled that educators globally are finding value in this course and applying their learnings to their pedagogical practices “ - Judy Paredes

Kindly keep an eye on our social channels for more testimonials and insights from educators who have participated in the course.