Literacy for Dominican-Haitian Youth in the Batey

During the 2025–2026 school year, Yspaniola continued working to ensure that children in and around Batey Libertad receive the academic support they need to learn, grow, and succeed. For more than 15 years, Yspaniola has provided educational opportunities adapted to children’s individual learning needs, with a particular focus on Spanish-language literacy and improved academic performance.

This year, our impact extended beyond the students participating directly in Yspaniola’s programs. In March 2026, the team launched pedagogical coaching sessions with teachers at the Batey Libertad public school. Through this partnership, Yspaniola provides teachers with ongoing training and practical support in phonics-based literacy instruction. The collaboration also promotes joint activities for students served by both institutions.

Strengthening the knowledge and instructional practices of public-school teachers allows Yspaniola’s work to benefit a much broader group of children, including students who attend the Batey Libertad public school but live in surrounding communities. By supporting teachers, sharing effective methodologies, and coordinating interventions, Yspaniola is helping improve the quality of classroom instruction beyond the physical limits of the batey. This approach multiplies the impact of every training session and creates a stronger educational network around each child.

At the preschool level, Yspaniola offered four classes serving 57 children between the ages of three and six. Instruction focused on Spanish vocabulary, fine motor development, oral comprehension, letter recognition, phonemic awareness, early writing, and beginning reading skills. The Learning Center served an additional 31 students between the ages of seven and thirteen through four multigrade classes organized according to students’ learning levels. These included phonics, beginning reading, reading tutoring, and reading and grammar.

Students demonstrated significant progress throughout the year. Preschool assessment results increased from 25% to 79% in the Montessori class, from 65% to 86% in Kinder, from 76% to 98% in Class 1A, and from 37% to 94% in Class 1B. Average attendance reached 94% in preschool and 96% in the Learning Center, reflecting strong engagement from children and families. Reading assessments also showed continued advancement across the Learning Center, with students progressing to higher literacy levels in phonics, beginning reading, reading tutoring, and reading and grammar.

The initiative “All Aboard The Literacy Boat!” also continued to build a culture of literacy. Every Friday, a Learning Center student visits the preschool to read and share a story with younger children. In addition to motivating preschool students to enjoy books, the activity strengthens the older students’ reading comprehension, critical thinking, confidence, and public-speaking skills.

In total, Yspaniola provided 126 days of classes during the school year. With the continued support of GlobalGiving donors, Yspaniola is not only helping children improve their literacy and academic skills but also strengthening the capacity of local teachers. Together, these efforts are creating a more inclusive and sustainable educational system capable of reaching children throughout Batey Libertad and neighboring communities.