SOPAAN

A need-driven program approach

Children who pick up the habit of reading books early have someone in their family or school who would have read out a book. Such storytelling/reading activities help children develop an interest in reading books in one or more languages and develop an ability to comprehend different situations, express their emotions and nurture their creativity. We witness a sharp decline in such an enriching support system for story reading due to dwindling family size and changes in family preferences, such as watching TV in the spare time instead of reading stories. This reading deficiency is most acute in first-generation learners and economically underprivileged children. Schools in remote areas pose an additional challenge for teachers, as they often need to manage multi-grade children simultaneously. When children do not attain reading fluency, their ability to participate in the general education curriculum and achieve academic success is severely impaired. This makes it essential to follow a structured foundational literacy program that addresses the following key needs.

Multi-paced learning: Catering to children learning at a varied pace

The pace at which children learn concepts and acquire foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills and competencies varies from child to child, especially in the early learning years. We commonly observe and accept that the pace of physical development varies from child to child. Every child takes a unique time to reach physical development milestones such as sitting, standing, walking, and the development of teeth. Some attain these milestones earlier than others. While these differences in the pace of physical development of children are understood, it is highly common to expect all children who enter primary school to be at the same learning level and acquire FLN skills and competencies at the same pace they journey.

A grade-based or age-based uniform curriculum may not always work for young children when the focus is on building the foundation. Teaching children must be based on what they know and what they are ready to receive.

Multimodal learning: Catering to children with a preference for multiple learning styles

Each child develops a unique preference for styles of learning. Some children have a strong preference for visual learning. In contrast, some strongly prefer auditory-based learning, some learn more effectively with movements (Kinesthetic), and some are tactile learners. It is very common to see children develop a preference for a combination of learning styles (VAKT - Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic & Tactile).

Bilingual learning: For effective oral language and literacy development

Adopting a bilingual approach within the early grades with the first language (mostly the child's mother tongue) as the main language of teaching enables children to do efficient code-switching across languages. India's National Education Policy (NEP 2020) also recommends a bilingual learning approach as the use of children's context and experiences and themes close to children's hearts for oral language and literacy development is important when an unfamiliar language is being used or taught formally.

Multi-Grade, Multi-level (MGML): Manage and make learning effective in Multi-Grade, Multi-level (MGML) classrooms.

In foundational and preparatory years, especially in rural schools, it is very common for teachers to handle classes comprising children from multiple grades. Developing foundation learning skills and competencies in each child in a multi-grade classroom brings unique challenges of customising FLN content/activities for effective group learning and independent learning among children.

SOPAAN supplements and bolsters academic learning by addressing these critical needs. The program aims to break the barriers in learning by allowing every child to learn through enjoyable stories & engaging activities, building a strong literacy foundation, nurturing 21st-century skills, strengthening core values and helping them blossom into lifelong learners.

A need-driven program approach

Overview of SOPAAN Content

Program Objectives

How can I become a part of this team?

Are you passionate about Foundation Learning and inclined to volunteer in the development of content or impart training to teachers, or visit schools that are implementing the program to further guide the teachers? If so, can you spare a couple of hours a day or 8 to 10 hours a week?

Please contact us at:
[email protected] +91 98407 77493