In this review the authors considered all the documents pertaining to the teaching of reading in Botswana primary schools from independence to the present. The purpose was to get the big picture with regard to the status of reading education. The results are reported in four categories: (1) Reading in the Classroom; (2) Reading and Policy; (3) Reading Performance; and (4) Reading Outside of School. We conclude with recommendations for a better alignment between policy and teaching practices along with better teacher preparation for teaching early reading. We include a call for early interventions to prevent students being left behind in the first years of schooling and efforts to build connections between families and schools to support literacy learning.