ADVANTAGE OF 90 MINUTES LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN EARLY GRADE CLASSES: MY EXPERIENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS OF MAYURBHANJ DISTRICT IN INDIA

Language is considered to be the mirror of the Society. It is the vehicle of communication. Researchers have recognized the importance of language and literacy in preparing children to succeed in school. Early literacy plays a key role in enabling the kind of early learning experiences that research shows are linked with academic achievement, reduced grade retention, higher graduation rates, and enhanced productivity in adult life. Considering the significance of language in early grades, CARE India, an International Development Organization started an intervention for enhancing the reading skill of children in 516 Government primary schools of Mayurbhanj district through its “START EARLY :READ IN TIME project since the year 2014 till 2019. A study conducted by CARE India prior to the Intervention revealed that less time was given to language classes in schools particularly in early grades, which resulted in the poor reading skill of children. Keeping this in view, CARE India tested an innovation and took further initiatives for implementation of an effective 90 minutes language period especially in class-I and class-II. The objective was to facilitate all the language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing concurrently in the same class. The extension of time period for language teaching and the concurrent practice of all the language skills in the same class improved the reading skill of children in early grades. This Paper says about the process adopted for execution of 90 minutes language period and the results achieved later. The success of the intervention is clearly stated in the study report prepared by a Delhi based Research Agency named “KAARAK”.