READing Hackathon

Although we are all aware of the complex and comprehensive role teachers play in the education eco-system, yet the entry requirements and training periods for elementary school teachers are much lower than those in other countries. Moreover, our dated teacher training programs do not have a defined focus on early grade reading. Need of the hour is to redesign teacher education programs in the country. Additionally, a platform for teachers needs to be created where they could share knowledge and best practices amongst themselves

Reading materials are scarce, particularly in local languages and children, who are beginning to read, find it difficult to comprehend stories that are not written in their mother tongue. Instead of engaging children, the text - in an alien language - often ends up distancing them from reading. Moreover, without engaging reading materials, it is unlikely that students will develop a positive attitude towards reading and see it as a meaning making, or even a pleasurable exercise.

There are differential learning levels inside a single classroom with many students struggling to read grade - level texts. The need of the hour is to come up with a solution that can help in identifying the learning gaps and provide personalised remediation for them at the earliest. To truly close the loop on formative assessments, there is an urgent need to invest in tech-based assessment frameworks that rely on data and personalization to provide remediation and diagnosis of challenges each child might be facing in their classrooms.