Why Phonics Can’t Be One-Size-Fits-All
In sub-Saharan Africa, 80% of children are taught in a language they might not fully understand. This is one of the most significant barriers to learning to read.
At Luminos, we have long emphasized that effective phonics instruction must be systematic, explicit, and clearly structured. As our programs expand across countries and languages, one thing has become increasingly clear: phonics instruction must also be grounded in language structure and cultural context.
%
of children in sub-Saharan Africa are taught in a language they might not fully understand
The Structure of a Language Shapes How Children Learn
How a language is taught depends on its structure and writing system. In alphabetic languages like English and Sidaamu Afoo, letters represent individual sounds. Children learn to connect letters to sounds, blend those sounds into syllables (a combination of consonants and vowels), and then form words. In alphasyllabic languages such as Amharic, symbols represent whole syllables rather than individual sounds. In these languages, children learn to recognize the unique symbols that represent syllables, making the blending of individual sounds unnecessary. In Amharic, this means children must learn 230 symbols (known as fidel). Without this foundational understanding, even well-intentioned instruction can miss the mark, leaving children without the tools they need to become confident readers.
Luminos student Fayze practices reading in Amharic, her favorite subject. Amharic is an alphasyllabic language that uses symbols called fidel to represent whole syllables rather that individual sounds. Before learning to read, Fayze first had to learn all 230 fidel. “I love school! It gives me joy that I’m learning now — and that I know my letters and I’m able to read!” says Fayze. (Photo: Mara Chan/Luminos Fund)
While much of the global research on phonics comes from English-language instruction, it is important to recognize that English is an outlier.
How one spells and reads words in English is complex and inconsistent. A single letter or combination of letters can represent multiple sounds. Consider how differently “ough” is pronounced in the words “though,” “through,” “thought,” and “tough.” For a child learning to read, these inconsistencies require extensive and often prolonged instruction.
Many African languages are far more predictable and consistent than English. Asante Twi in Ghana, for example, has a more predictable spelling system. The vowel “a” sounds the same in the words “papa” (meaning, good) and “kasa” (meaning, to speak). Once a child has learned that sound, its use remains consistent across words. Because languages differ so significantly in how predictable or systematic these letter-sound mappings are, the same phonics method cannot be equally efficient or appropriate across all languages, making a single universal approach inadequate.
Learn more about Luminos’ approach to phonics instruction in the “Phonics for First-Generation Readers” element of the Luminos Method!
Because languages differ so significantly in how predictable or systematic these letter-sound mappings are, the same phonics method cannot be equally efficient or appropriate across all languages, making a single universal approach inadequate.
Instruction and Materials Must Reflect Students’ Languages and Contexts
Given the linguistic diversity across the African continent, children may arrive at school speaking different home languages, each with its own sound system. A child in Ghana who speaks Asante Twi, for example, may struggle to hear or produce the /z/ sound in Dagaare because it does not exist in their home language.
Effective phonics instruction must be responsive by adapting it to students’ linguistic backgrounds. This includes allocating more time to foundational skills like phonemic awareness and vocabulary where needed, and using familiar language as a bridge to new learning.
At the same time, what children read matters just as much as how they are taught. When learning materials reflect students’ daily lives through familiar characters, settings, and experiences, reading becomes more accessible and meaningful. Centering learning materials in the local context helps students see their worlds reflected in text, making it more likely that they will understand, engage with, and persist in their learning.
In Liberia, student Beatrice reads a story set in a community just like hers. (Photo: Mara Chan/Luminos Fund)
Effective phonics instruction must be responsive by adapting it to students’ linguistic backgrounds.
A Call to Rethink “What Works”
There is no universal script for teaching reading. But when phonics instruction is thoughtfully adapted to a language’s structure, responsive to students’ linguistic backgrounds, and includes learning materials that reflect learners’ cultural context, the results can be transformative.
Luminos programs in countries like Ethiopia and Ghana show that when phonics instruction is designed in this way, children can achieve remarkable reading gains in just one year. In the 2024-25 school year, Luminos students in Ghana read over nine times the national average for Grade 2 students in Asante Twi by the time they completed the program.
If we want every child to learn to read, we must move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and design instruction that reflects the rich diversity of languages and cultures in which children learn.
Diana, a student in Ghana, practices reading a short passage in Asante Twi in her Student Book. (Photo: Obeng Baah for the Luminos Fund)
