1 in 10 people in the world today can’t read. Pratham’s innovative approach is helping kids learn to read in as little as 50 days. Pratham’s methodology centers around teaching children based on their level rather than their age or grade.
It began in India, where most kids are in school – but many aren’t able to read at grade level. The success of the core approach – teaching kids at their level and not neglecting those who have fallen behind – has lead to increased reading in Indian states from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu.
It’s now being used in Africa and 14 other countries around the world. Could it end up teaching hundreds of millions of kids to read? And with millions more citizens able to read, could it help these countries prosper?
In this video, Freethink interviews Madhav Chavan, co-founder and president of Pratham, who explains how the Pratham program works and why it is necessary. We also visit classrooms in India where their program is being used and team leader Ranjeeta Kushwaha talks about how kids respond to it. Dr. Sarvendra Vikram Singh, the Director of Basic Education in Uttar Pradesh, describes how the government has found it effective. We also meet with Ashleigh Morrell, an associate director at J-PAL Africa who’s helping adapt the methodology to countries like Zambia.
For more information on Pratham, go to http://prathamusa.org/.