The Total Reading Approach for Children (TRAC), which is funded by USAID, World Vision and Australian Aid through All Children Reading Program. World Education is a prime recipient and implemented by KAPE.~ The goal of the project is to focus on the total learning environment, thus enhancing the ability of children to acquire essential early reading skills while encouraging a culture of reading both in school and at home and also improve the literacy levels in grade 1 and 2 by combining regular assessments with a Rapid Response System, including parental help and Mobile learning.

On the 15^th to the 17^th of September 2014, TRAC held two wrapped up workshops on Reading Benchmark in Kampong Cham and Siem Reap. The aim of the workshop was to reflect on the project implemented activities directly done by the target schools and to build sustainable strategic plans for the following academic years. Many of the participants shared their experiences of applying basic reading benchmark to improve their teaching and student achievements. In addition, participants reported that the use of smart phones application, specifically designed for the project, further facilitated both learning and teaching processes in the classroom and at home.

Ek Socheatha, the director of the District  of Education in Kampong Cham, says that TRAC offers a new and sustainable model of intervention that other schools in Kampong Cham should be inspired by. He continues saying that the reading benchmark introduced by TRAC was very helpful and made the students enjoy reading. “I’m very happy if TRAC continues for a few years because it helps our students so much. In the past, the students had difficulties but now they get better reading benchmark. They like reading books, especially the M-learning material,” Soksela says.

Morn Rany, the librarian at Ouraing Ov high school, says that after TRAC intervention, her school changed because the students got better understanding of Khmer literacy. “TRAC has provided learning and teaching aids such as Reading games. These games make students enjoy working in groups  and makes teachers´work easier,” she says.

Long Sopha, Grade 1 teacher at Tropaing Ruessey primary school, says that she received new ways of teaching. Especially she enjoyed the interval testing assignment given to the students in order to find out their level of understanding of Khmer literacy. She also reports that all the Grade 1 teachers found it easier to teach the students when they had learning aids to work with in groups.

TRAC aims to enhance children’s acquisition of early reading skills by focusing on the children’s learning environment both at school and at home. In collaboration with Cambodia´s Primary Education Department, TRAC had developed Reading Benchmark and continuous Assessment Tests based on the new readers . It also developed a Rapid Response System for children with reading difficulties; literacy coaching;  M-learning application; and reading toolkit. In addition, the project managed to engage parents.

Even though the TRAC project is ending in September 2014 it has contributed a lot to early grade education. It also helped promote USAID’s new Educational Strategy which focus on early grade reading. The direct involvement of the Primary Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in the development of TRAC tools contributes in reaching the common goal of improving literacy in Cambodia.