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Creating
paper tigers in Thane
Pratham Thane reading programme was initiated on October
23rd. Since then, Nanda and her team of young teachers is
possessed with the idea of getting all poor readers and out-of
school children to read and read well. They are working with
547 of them. In a routine test, it was found that children
were making rapid progress and getting interested in the reading
programme.
While the results from all reading classes were positive and
encouraging, additional documentation was desirable. Nanda
decided to start a fresh class and record procedural details
and verifiable changes. This is a brief (almost unbelievable)
account of progress her two classes made since the experiment
began on December 6th.
The class consisted of 37 school-going children. Nine at zero
level, 15 at letter, 10 at word and 2 at paragraph reading
level. The grade-wise distribution was:
2nd grade 6
4th grade 8
5th grade 7
6th grade 9 and
7th grade 7.
The paragraph readers were from 7th grade.
Day One
Nanda went to the class and told the children that she was
going to read them a story. She was equipped with reading
cards, story book, 'barakhadi' chart and barakhadi sheets
for children. She knew that in the class she had chosen, only
3 children could read and they too were poor readers. Others
were at the alphabet recognition stage. A simple story of
kites with colour names and several sight words was chosen.
Children were in the age group of 9 to 15.
Nanda distributed the cards to children and took a card for
herself. She read the story slowly and clearly moving her
finger under each word. No instructions were given to children.
It was clear that this was a serious exercise.
Children's reactions ranged from interest, curiosity to indifference.
After reading out the approximately ten-line story, she asked
the class if they wanted to hear it again. Some did and she
obliged. This time some children were imitating her moving
their fingers under various words.
Nanda then divided the class in three groups making sure that
there was a 'reader' in each. Then she said there was a competition
of word search. She started with kite, then went on to other
sight words and finally to colours. Now lot of attention was
paid to the cards and children really enjoyed the game. Even
the initially disinterested children seemed involved in the
activity. The groups were not necessarily searching the correct
words and some were 'pretending' to have found the words.
Then Nanda moved to the barakhadi chart. She recited barakhadi
of one letter and four other children then used letters of
their choice for the recitation. Still sitting in the groups
made earlier, children used their barakhadi sheets to 'look
for' words they wanted. Entire class was now involved in the
activity. Perhaps because of the earlier direction, they all
were looking for the colours and sight words from the story.
Some seem excited that the colours read out earlier, were
actually staring at them from the sheet. 'Tai mala nila sapadala'.
'Mala pan'. 'Ithe hirwa disto'. 'Are kala suddha'!! 'Tai mala
keshari shodahyala madat kara'….. the game and excitement
went on till the end of the class.
The interest was evident from the chorus invitation to do
the same thing again tomorrow!
Two days later…
Kite story starts. Now all children are attentive and carefully
following the words with their fingers. Immediately after
reading the story once, the barakhadi recitation is done.
Nanda does not get a chance to choose her alphabet at all.
There are volunteers waiting to lead the class. They know
the routine and are waiting for the word search game to begin.
Competition has heated up today because Nanda has made a variation.
'Write the word you have found. Let us see who finds maximum
words and reads them back to all of us' she tells the class.
It is quiet and children are looking for words. Some clever
ones have decided to 'look for' all two-letter and even one
letter words such as me, tu, ye, ja etc. Reading the words
out was a very clever idea. After the word search stopped,
children helped each other in reading. As they read, Nanda
wrote the words on the board and the whole class read the
entire set of words created by them. She cleverly positioned
the word sequence to make sentences from the words made and
wrote these sentences separately.
Highlight of the day was the excitement that their words were
making meaningful sentences. ' Tai maza pan shabda ghe' some
children said if 'their' words were not used in any sentence.
The interest and enthusiasm of children was amazing.
Three more days later…
Nanda walks in the class and invites volunteers to read the
now familiar story. Excitement again. The volunteers are helped
by all children. Barakhadi game is skipped on request. Children
decide to frame their own sentences with the hep of barakhadi
chart and the competition is of who makes more sentences.
The routine of search, help, write, read, put down on board
and read again is followed.
It seems like 70% or more of the class that was at the alphabet
recognition level is reading meaningfully in just five days.
No deliberate attempt is made to either discourage or insist
on difficult words, phrases or 'jodakshrs'. If children ask
for a jodakshr Nanda shows them or helps them to read.
Next three days (8th day of focused reading)…
Nanda randomly picks out a child and a position in kite story
to read. With almost 100% success rate children read following
the finger movement. Some who 'pretend' to read are caught,
corrected and helped by others.
The class is now more interested in finding words and making
sentences from the barakhadi chart. Today Nanda has another
game in mind. She divides the class in groups and gives a
whole sentence of four or five words to look for. With truly
surprising speed children are able to look for the sentences.
Group dynamics are interesting. Cooperation and writing practice
is given indirectly. Without their knowledge, Nanda has brought
them to the dictation level.
The day ends by children making their own sentences, finding
them, reading them and writing them down.
14th December …
Children do not want the kite story. Give us other cards.
We want to read 'real books' not just cards is the latest
demand.
An excited and joyous Nanda is hoping that all her neo-readers
would be a part of reading competition and reach at least
up to the silver stage.
Well done Nanda and hope to get all gold readers from
your class.
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