RightToRead is an edtech initiative for the enhancement of English literacy of government school students. The program is aimed at enabling English literacy globally with the help of a multi-sensory AI-powered reading and comprehension software–ReadToMe®. RightToRead started in 2013 with 100 schools across 6 states in India. In 2015, the program expanded to 5,000 schools reaching 1 million students in 8 states in the country. Today, the RightToRead program has an outreach of nearly 25,000 schools and 8 million students in India and globally. 

RightToRead in Assam: An EdTech Initiative in Government Schools 

The RightToRead program was launched in Assam in 2019. The program is a joint initiative of EnglishHelper and Schoolnet India and is supported by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The program aims to enhance English reading and comprehension skills of around 400,000 government school students from grades 1-12.

The RightToRead program spread its footprint to Assam in 841 schools across districts. Schools have been reporting usage on the ReadToMe® software, and the program is receiving a favourable response from students and teachers. 

It has also been encouraging to see many Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) schools implementing the program. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), in the shape of Assam Petroleum Ltd, has also stepped up to support the spread of RightToRead in Assam.

Schools in Assam are located in remote areas, which have little or no connectivity with nearby towns. Several districts and schools can only be reached by river transport. Network connectivity and electricity are also erratic in parts of the state. Despite these challenges, technology won and ReadToMe®  has now reached almost all the schools within a few months of launching the project.

RightToRead- An EdTech Initiative Empowering Teachers in Government Schools in Assam

Teachers play an important role as a part of the program. The program enables the teacher to become more effective in class. The teacher is equipped with tools to help students learn better. Students are engaged and learn quicker. 

English teacher at Hokai Pungchi LP School, Dima Hasao district, has been using ReadToMe® for a few months. She finds it “tremendously useful in enhancing the reading and comprehension skills” of the students. She has never missed a class and neither have her students. 

Mainul Haque Mondal, Principal of Lakhiganj Higher Secondary Model School in Dhubri district is highly impressed by the software. In his recent letter to the RightToRead team, Mondal writes that the school believes that the RightToRead program is a great opportunity for the students to improve their English language skills. In his words, “This has increased the level of student-teacher engagement in the classrooms. The tools help both teachers and students to improve their vocabulary and pronunciation. The school has over 1,200 students in grades 1 to 12, and we think every student across grades should be able to make use of this tremendous opportunity.” 

Transforming English Learning in Assam

Research confirms that the multi-sensory process of learning enhances retention. Students improve their ability to read and comprehend a language since “repeated multi-sensory exposure to words enables word recognition and facilitates the development of pronunciation / oral skills.” RightToRead has been designed to leverage these fundamental language learning tenets. The AI-powered software, ReadToMe® is “trained” to read curriculum prescribed textbooks. Thus, the program is easily integrated with school time-tables. The features of the software make English reading and comprehension an enjoyable activity.  

This edtech initiative- a blend of technology and education for enhancing English literacy is establishing itself as an efficient, effective approach driving the transformation of English learning in government schools in India.  

Take a look at a ReadToMe® class in session in Assam – click here.

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