© 2026 The World Bank Group, What happens when communities help children acquire foundational skills? Harriet Nannyonjo April 14, 2026 This page in: English Español العربية

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/what-happens-when-communities-help-children-acquire-foundational Picture a child sitting in a crowded classroom, copying words from a chalkboard—yet still unable to read a simple sentence on their own. At the World Bank, we call this learning poverty, and it is more common than it should be. In low- and middle-income countries, more than 70% of children cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10. © 2026 The World Bank Group,