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The importance of reading is indisputable. As a value, it is celebrated and aspirational. As a skill for academic and career success, it is crucial. Research from around the world has shown that children who read for pleasure outperform those who don’t at multiple levels.
However, before children are able to read for pleasure, they should experience learning to read in English a deliberate, systematic and incremental manner so that they are met with success right froman early age. This creates a pull for reading for pleasure. Global indicators also show that a child should be an independent reader with fluency and comprehension by the time he finishes grade 3.
India was part of the group of 75 countries/economies that participated in PISA 2009. Two of the states from India participated – Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. After a dismal performance in 2009, India did not participate in the subsequent rounds of PISA until now. However, the HRD Ministry under Honourable Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar has decided that India will again participate in PISA in year 2021.
Equipped with this strong belief, Stones2Milestones developed a national pure-play reading assessment (FAST), which is capable of giving system-wide diagnostic reports of English reading levels for policy as well as teaching input. FAST assessment process and data driven approach has been reviewed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the same body that has been leading the consortium that developed and administered PISA for several years since inception.
FAST is an online system-wide diagnostic tool that tests children’s meaning-making (comprehension) and word-use-fluency (vocabulary) at various degrees of complexity. The test has been built upon latest technology stack to work in remote areas with intermittent/slow Internet connections, and has been developed using international test quality standards and data modelling approach, including Item Response Theory. In 2017, 19766 children from 107 schools across 21 states took FAST. The assessment is capable of showing distribution of children across a verticalscale anchored with reading skills, hence each reading level also shows the skills that children falling under such levels have acquired.
FAST 2017 results showed that:
Research has shown that being able to read at expected grade level fluency with comprehension bythe end of grade 3 is the single largest predictor of all future academic success. First, a child learns toread, and then s/he reads to learn. Unless the child can read effectively s/he would not be able toexcel in any other subject as well. A nationwide sub-programme of SSA – “Padhe Bharat BadheBharat” – is also planned in a two-track approach out of which one important track has beenidentified as early reading and writing with comprehension. In its New India @ 2022 Conference ofGovernors, Niti Aayog has identified “participation in PISA from 2021” as one of the top 3agendas in Education and Skill Development programs under Social Development plans. Webelieve that children’s performance on FAST would prove to be an effective measuring tool to aid in preparation for PISA 2021.
Special Features of the Product
Project: Readvantage with Aura Education Trust
As part of the project, we provide our offerings to low income schools/APS with the help of corporate support. We are currently working with approx. 8500 children in this segment across 8 cities in India. Some of our CSR partners are Teach For India, Manyavar (Fashion label), VMart (Retail outlet), Deepak Foundation, Youwecan Foundation etc.
Our services include providing an English reading program with diagnostic and impact assessment. It is a combination of technology products for teachers, parents and children and offline support, training and printed material that go to school.
Most of our CSR partners have extended their CSR contribution beyond the first year. We share periodic reports with the management to keep them updated on the progress, impact and next steps.
A study on language development in young children titled ‘30 Million Word Gap’ by researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley of the University of Kansas, USA states that by the age of 3, children who aren’t exposed to books/stories have a vocabulary of 30-50 words, compared to a 1,000-word vocabulary of children who have been read to from infancy.
Being able to read at expected grade level fluency with comprehension by the end of grade 3 is the single largest predictor of all future academic success, including the board exams in grade 12.
This situation is even more challenging in the case of Indian children who attend English medium schools, as they are immersed in a language that they have little or no access or exposure to in their homes. Imagine the impact of this!
At Stones2Milestones, we are committed to achieving this.
STONES2MILESTONES’ OFFERINGS - Bridging the Reading Gap
Offering |
For |
Description |
Freadom |
Parents |
Freadom is an app designed to help parents raise a happy reader providing e-books, audio/video books, news for children, activities, reading tracker and lots more. Spend 10 minutes with your child anywhere, anytime to nurture their will and skill to read |
WOW Connect |
Teachers |
WOW Connect Empowers teachers to build the skill and will to read in children |
WOW Lite |
Library |
Adaptive plug and play tech-driven reading ecosystem designed for schools to make reading happen by design, rather than leaving it to chance. WOW Lite empowers librarians, teachers, and parents to raise readers who are crazy about reading. |
WOW Classic |
English |
Bespoke reading focused whole language solution + In school structured reading program to build skill and will to read |
Vision: “My Place In The World” – helping each child achieve his/her place in the world
Mission: Creating a Nation of Readers
What makes my organization unqiue?
Why should a corporate partner with my organization?
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