Our Trainings
The Luminos Method: Training for Effective Teaching
We train teachers the way we want them to teach: with joy, structure, engagement, and plenty of practice. Through hands-on sessions, teachers gain practical strategies to build children’s foundational literacy and numeracy skills, confidence, and love of learning.
Community teachers learn how to create joyful, inclusive classrooms, strengthen instruction, and manage classrooms effectively. Luminos also trains government teachers to use the Luminos Method in their classrooms and supports organizations across sub-Saharan Africa to adapt the approach to local contexts through the Luminos Method Learning Lab.
Across each training, our goal is the same: to equip teachers with practical tools and support to create classrooms where children can thrive.
Luminos’ Six Standardized Training Sessions:
Learn sessions build the essential knowledge needed to use teaching and learning materials effectively. Even in these knowledge-focused sessions, participants are actively engaged.
Discuss sessions create structured spaces to think, share, listen, and learn from one another. Trainers facilitate conversations and connect reflections back to classroom practice.
Participate sessions model high-quality foundational learning lessons using culturally relevant materials. Participants experience gradual release of responsibility and activity-based learning from the learners’ perspective.
Practice sessions model key literacy and numeracy skills—such as letter-sound knowledge or blending—ensuring participants master the content before teaching it.
Teach sessions provide a safe, supportive environment for micro-teaching. Participants practice using the materials with one another, while trainers observe and offer targeted feedback.
Reflect sessions consolidate learnings across the training experience. Participants assess their own progress, provide feedback, and identify specific actions they will implement.
Our Training Approach
Luminos trainings include structured workshops that emphasize peer learning, reflection, and practice, giving teachers the chance to experience joyful learning themselves while building their confidence. They are designed to mirror the classrooms we want teachers to create: if we expect joyful, structured, student-centered teaching, the training room must look and feel the same.
Training begins before the school year and continues through refresher sessions and continuous coaching aligned to each instructional phase. This gives teachers time to apply new strategies, reflect, and prepare for the next stage of learning. This ongoing support helps teachers translate training into lasting classroom change.
We use a standardized training model to ensure every training follows the same instructional principles, balances theory with practice, and prioritizes learning by doing.
The annual training schedule includes approximately 30 days in total spread throughout the year. This structure varies slightly by location. In Liberia, for example, the training is typically structured as shown below.
Sample Training Schedule (Liberia)
Training Government Teachers
The Luminos Method Teacher Training is designed for government teachers to strengthen instruction in foundational literacy and numeracy using the Luminos Method. The training aligns with national curricula and teaching standards, and introduces joyful, activity-based learning alongside practical strategies such as phonics techniques and simple tools for monitoring reading fluency and adjusting instruction.
The training is reinforced through follow-up coaching and classroom observations from Luminos trainers, helping teachers apply new practices with confidence. An external evaluation has shown that classrooms using the Luminos Method achieve strong gains in children’s literacy and numeracy outcomes.
Luminos Ethiopia Country Manager, Hassen Ahmed Assen, leads teachers through a small group activity lesson during a government teacher training. (Photo: Luminos Fund)
“The training has changed the way I teach, making my lessons more engaging and student-centered. It also helps me manage time effectively and fosters stronger connections with my students. Being a teacher in this program has changed how I approach teaching and has deepened my love for the profession.”
Kinkino, Ethiopian Government Teacher
Learning Lab participants participate in an interactive workshop during their visit to Liberia. (Photo: Mamadou Jallow for the Luminos Fund)
The inaugural Luminos Method Learning Lab cohort. (Photo: Mamadou Jallow for the Luminos Fund)
Learning Lab participants immerse themselves in joyful learning during a Luminos classroom visit. (Photo: Mamadou Jallow for the Luminos Fund)
During an interactive workshop, Learning Lab participants discuss elements of the Luminos Method. (Photo: Mamadou Jallow for the Luminos Fund)
Learning Lab participants share their organizations’ respective missions and approaches during a workshop. (Photo: Mamadou Jallow for the Luminos Fund)
The Luminos Method Learning Lab
The Luminos Method Learning Lab supports African-led organizations to learn from and adapt elements of the Luminos Method. Through workshops, classroom visits, and hands-on training, participants explore how to adapt the approach in their contexts to strengthen foundational learning for children on the margins.
“The workshop discussions reflected real-life challenges and practical strategies that can be adapted to improve the implementation of mother tongue literacy for children in our context.”
Abdulai Elihu Wumbei, Director, Literacy and Development through Partnership
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The Luminos Fund is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt charitable organization registered in the United States (EIN 36-4817073).
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