Teaching Basic Math and Literacy at the Right Level

Teacher Training

Are you looking for innovative teaching methods to better manage your classroom and help children learn at the right level? Our training empowers teachers to teach basic math and language skills in a child-centred way using local and recycled materials. 

I would like to be part of it!

We help you teach basic math and literacy in a more effective way with playful learning methods and local materials.

The COVID19 pandemic has aggravated already existing challenges in many primary schools: Widely differing learning levels in a class and a lack of learning materials. The training will empower teachers to find the right methods to help children to get back and remain on track in their education using a playful Teaching at the Right Level approach. 

Learn how to implement play-based learning in your classroom.

After the training teachers will :

  • Master key principles of child-centered learning and teaching at the right level.
  • Have learned simple assessment and lesson planning tools.
  • Know how to implement hands-on teaching methods to teach basic math and language skills in an interactive classroom.
  • Know how to build locally recycled hands-on learning materials for teaching math and literacy.
Sounds great, I would like to participate!

How does the training work?

The teacher training course is designed to bring immediate transformation into the classroom. The practice-oriented six-week training is based on teacher peer-learning groups in each school and uses a virtual training and coaching approach. Teachers will take charge of their own learning success and will start implementing concrete activities right from the first learning session. The training has been designed for schools in low resource contexts and does not require any additional resources besides the strong motivation of the school and the teachers as well as one mobile phone with some data.

Becoming part of a Learning Group

Teachers will form a learning group and meet weekly to study the training content. In a virtual kick-off workshop teachers will organise their learning supported by the trainer. 

Our weekly training content with background materials on the topic of the week, step-by-step tutorials and simple Do It Yourself learning activities is delivered right on your phone.

Creating your own learning materials

The highlight of the course are weekly simple learning materials that teachers will create themselves. Based on the local materials available, all teaching aids can be made with recycled resources available around the school.

At the end of the course you have a box with everything you need to teach basic math and literacy. 

Implementing right from the start

Teachers test out methods and self-made learning materials every week directly in their classroom. Our trainer supports through regular calls and continuous coaching.

After the six-week training, teachers implement the new methods in a four-week practice phase that is focused on helping students to catch-up with grade level.

Voices of participants

Thank you very much for the training! It was as if the training was prepared for me. I was expecting to learn how to better teach math and how to read and to write. Now, I keep on revising the way I am teaching. I liked most how the training is organised because it gave us sufficient time to discuss the content and to ask questions whenever we had them.
Sekela
Teacher in Dodoma, Tanzania
Thank you so much! I liked a lot dividing students into groups, as children like a lot to work in groups. The training is very practical. Before it was difficult for my students to understand. Now they do much better, when working with things they are familiar with.
Moses
Teacher in Freetown, Sierra Leone
It was so helpful to learn how to group kids according to their level in the class. It helped me to teach math and English. Now I know how to help my students to understand sounds and read according to their level.
Rachel
Teacher in Dodoma, Tanzania
The trainer was very friendly and active. All the materials came at the right time and were very well prepared. The teaching aids are all available in our environment. We first thought they might not be the same because the training was online, but they were and the training was perfectly matching our curriculum. The training reinforced what is in the curriculum and gave us even better ways to implement the methodologies of the curriculum.
Primary School Teacher
Dodoma, Tanzania

Meet the Trainer Team

Maria
Founder and Content Designer

I am Maria, a development specialist in education. I started Abracadabra Creative Learning with the vision for children independently of their background to have access to playful learning opportunities. Having lived for over a decade in Western and Eastern Africa as well as Asia, all training content has been adapted to meet the requirements of the local conditions. Maria has a background in Montessori approaches to learning.

Laura
Trainer English and Amharic

My name is Laura. I have more than 10 years teaching experience in different local and international schools in Ethiopia. I am a dedicated and creative teacher focused on building each student’s strength, confidence, and creativity. As such, I have specialized in designing hands-on learning materials for a special needs class I am currently teaching. I love the endless possibilities when creating playful learning materials using local and recycled materials.

APPLY NOW

open for individual teachers, schools and NGOs​

Get one of the limited places in our next training cohort starting in March 2022

Once we receive your expression of interest, we will contact you to set-up an exploratory call.

The training is free. Please note that we do not provide funding to schools nor per diems. 
To participate you need a strong motivation; at least one teacher who has access to data/ smartphone and a possibility for teachers to meet once a week for a two hour learning workshop. 

CLICK HERE TO APPLY