There are two programmes-an annual programme (July to March every year) and summer camps (April every year) that the innovators offer.
Elaborating on the annual programme, Gupta said that it is a paperless class where teaching is based on usage of original games to hold the child’s attention. It is application-based and focuses on practical usage though verbal essays, debates, just-a-minute sessions, quizzes, role-plays, physical games, spelling rounds and original story narration.
The syllabus is designed to work on all the four skills of the child—reading, listening, writing and speaking.
A running score-board, rewarding teams on their performance and the desire to win motivates the children to animatedly contribute words, said Gupta. “For instance, our defence-attack game has each child bringing a word to class. They must know the meaning, spelling and an application (sentence or situation). Each child from a team attacks the opposing team with their word. If the opposing team answers correctly, they score. Else, the team that brought the word scores,” she said.
Another game makes children use words in a given storyline. Scores are given as they speak for every correct application of the word.
“The primary aim is to make understand the practical usage of the word instead of rote learning. Every word is taught through situations the child can relate to ensuring that the child understands the usage perfectly,” said Gupta.
While the certified (annual) programme is currently being taught in schools like Jamnabai Narsee School (Mumbai), Dastur School (Pune) and other places under the franchisee model, Gupta is in talks with several schools in Mumbai, Pune and Goa for the forthcoming academic year.
VocaBOOM is a 36-hour programme taught over nine months with home assignments, compulsory weekly story-book reading and parental involvement and targets children from four to 12 years of age. There are several levels—the prebasic (four and five-year-olds); basic (six and seven-year-olds); elementary (eight and nine-year-olds), intermediate (10 and 11-year-olds) and intermediate-II at age 12.
“At the prebasic level, for instance, we initially gauge the child’s English conversational ability and our first aim is to make the child comfortable in talking. Reading is a vital part of this level,” said Gupta. Similarly, at the intermediate level, children are encouraged to read books regularly and show what they are reading. Writing tasks are given as home assignments on a regular basis. “It is extremely difficult to make reading a habit at this level as children have their own minds by now and shifting habits is not easy, though we try,” added Gupta.
It’s the positive and continuous feedback from the parents, said Gupta, that has been a motivating factor. “And what’s most important is that parents tell us their children love the sessions. They thoroughly enjoy themselves and do not realise that they are also learning in the process,” added Gupta.
mihika.basu@expressindia.com