Organizations Supporting Language and Literacy Development

 

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These organizations seek to ensure that there are high-quality books and reading materials for every child and, in some cases, for adults, particularly in underserved languages. They include multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, and private sector groups committed to ending illiteracy across the globe. With some exceptions, they generally promote book development, procurement, distribution, and use, rather than publishing books themselves.

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+ Description

This repository of West African eBooks includes: post-literacy materials (booklets on small enterprise activities, health, human rights, etc.); newspapers intended for, and sometimes edited by, the newly literate; religious materials (e.g., Koranic and Biblical texts); poetry; information on AIDS and its prevention; folktales and epics; African language translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and articles on oral history and culture.

+ Available Languages

  • Bamanankan
  • Hausa
  • Jula / Dyula
  • Kabuverdianu / Cape Verdean Creole / Criol
  • Mandinka
  • Mandinka (N'Ko script)
  • Moore
  • Pulaar / Pular / Fulfulde
  • Wolof
  • Wolof (Wolofal / Ajami script)
  • Zarma
 

+ Description

Room to Read is a global organization transforming the lives of millions of children in low-income countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. We work in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations, and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and to ensure that girls can complete secondary school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. The Literacy Program transforms primary schools into a child-friendly learning environment that enables children to develop the skills and habit of reading throughout primary school and become life-long, independent readers. This includes ensuring a child-friendly learning environment within safe classrooms and structured libraries with books in the children’s local languages, as well as teachers and librarians who are trained in the best practices of reading and writing instruction. A key to success is ensuring that families, communities, and governments are all engaged in the transformation of schools and committed to their success.

+ Available Languages

N/A

+ Description

A non-profit organization committed to promoting literacy through reading for pleasure, Biblionef distributes books to families with young children in all 11 of South Africa’s languages. Books are also available for purchase.

+ Available Languages

  • Afrikaans
  • English
  • Ndebele / isiNdebele / Ndebele, Southern
  • Setswana / Tswana
  • Sotho, Northern / Sepedi / Pedi
  • Sotho, Southern / Sesotho
  • Swati / SiSwati
  • Tsonga / Xitsonga / Changana
  • Venda / Tshivenda / Tshivenḓa
  • Xhosa / isiXhosa
  • Zulu / isiZulu

+ Description

SIL is a linguistic organisation which works around the world, focusing on developing writing systems and literacy and education programmes for the speakers of previously unwritten languages. The SIL Language and Culture Archives provide a comprehensive listing of works published by SIL on and in the languages where language development projects have taken place. For certain languages, primers and reading books (often written for adults) are available for download or on request.

+ Available Languages

N/A

+ Description

With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other key donor and development partners, the Global Reading Network collects, develops, and disseminates evidence-based practices to increase the impact, scale, and sustainability of primary grade reading programs. See their Enabling Writers Workshops resources to set up your own workshops to develop and pilot leveled books for children, as well as using Bloom software.

+ Available Languages

N/A

+ Description

Unite ebooks for children are written in English and Spanish. Narration is available in 40 languages. Read the ebooks on your computer or download the app.

+ Available Languages

  • English
  • Spanish / Español

Audio available in:

  • Afrikaans
  • Arabic / العربية
  • Armenian / հայերեն
  • Burmese / Myanmar / မြန်မာ / မြန်မာစကား
  • Cherokee / ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ
  • Chickasaw / Chikashshanompa'
  • Chinese, Mandarin / 國語 / 普通话
  • Creole, Haitian / Kreyòl / Kreyol Ayisyen / Haitian
  • Cup’ik / Cugtun
  • Danish / Dansk
  • Dutch / Nederlands
  • Farsi / فارسی
  • French / Français
  • German / Deutsch
  • Greek / Ελληνικά
  • Hindi / Hindustani / हिंदी
  • Hmong / Hmoob
  • Icelandic / Íslenska
  • Iñupiaq
  • Italian / Italiano
  • Japanese / 日本語
  • Karen, S’gaw / Karen / K’nyau Cgau / ကညီကျိာ် / ကညီၤ (စှီၤ) / เก่อะญอ (จฆอ)
  • Kayah / Karenni
  • Kekchi / Q’eqchi’
  • Kinyarwanda / Ikinyarwanda / Rwandan / Rufumbira
  • Korean / 한국어
  • Krio
  • Maay Maay
  • Maya, Mopan / Mopan / Mayan Mopán
  • Mongolian / монгол хэл
  • Navajo / Diné
  • Nepali / नेपाली / नेपाल भाषा
  • Ojibwa / Ojibwe / Ojibwemowin
  • Polish / Polski
  • Portuguese / Português
  • Q’anjob’al
  • Rundi / Kirundi
  • Russian / Pусский
  • Samoan / Gagana Sāmoa
  • Setswana / Tswana
  • Sign Language, American / ASL
  • Slovak / Slovenčina
  • Somali / Af Soomaali
  • Spanish / Español
  • Swahili / Kiswahili
  • Swedish / Svenska
  • Tagalog
  • Telugu / తెలుగు
  • Turkish / Türkçe
  • Ukrainian
  • Urdu /اُردُو
  • Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
  • Yupik, Central / Yugtun

+ Description

The Global Book Alliance is a partnership of donor agencies, multilateral institutions, and civil society organizations that are committed to bringing books to every child in the world by 2030. The Alliance was formed in 2019 in order to bring together global education partners to end illiteracy through a coordinated effort to shape the book market to better address the growing book gap challenge.

+ Available Languages

N/A