Nurturing Early Literacy in Primary Schools in Phaltan Block (NELPSPB)

Launched in 2015, this four-year project by Pragat Shikshan Sanstha, supported by USAID, Tata Trusts, and the Centre for Microfinance (CmF), aimed to strengthen early reading and writing in 150 government schools in Phaltan. Teachers received continuous mentoring—both in person and through a specially designed Web-Based Portal that offered teaching resources, digital books, and a collaborative space for teachers to share challenges and receive feedback through video or written responses. Each school also established a village library with community participation, nurturing a reading culture among children and within the community.

 

Through structured support, resource development, and teacher capacity building, the project created a sustainable model that continues to inform language learning in Maharashtra and beyond. It also resulted in valuable educational resources, including 5 photo essays, 9 children’s readers, and a short film. State- and district-level consultations on early education were held in Pune and Satara, where teachers and librarians shared their experiences alongside education experts and government officials.