FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY

NIPUN BHARAT
निपु ण भारत
NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR PROFICIENCY IN निपुण भारत का सपिा
READING WITH UNDERSTANDING AND NUMERACY
सब बच्चे समझे भाषा और गणिा
NEP, 2020: augmenting student learning outcomes through FLN
Recognizing the importance of early learning, the National Education Policy 2020 states that “Our
highest priority must be to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) in primary
school and beyond by 2025. The rest of the policy will be largely irrelevant for such a large portion of
our students if this most basic learning (reading, writing, and arithmetic at the foundational level) is not
first achieved.”

Launching a National
Mission on Foundational
Literacy and Numeracy

Making foundational Achieving universal FLN

learning the highest in primary schools by
priority for the country 2026-27
 The highest priority of school education will be “Universal acquisition
of Foundational learning skills by Grade 3”
Higher order learning

Better learning Outcomes

CHILDREN WHO FALL BEHIND, GET LEFT BEHIND
Grade 3 is the inflection point by which children are expected to
Foundational Skills
“learn to read” so that they can “read to learn” after that.

The Education system aims to achieve Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by 2026-27, where,
by Grade 3 every child can…..

Read with Basic Mathematical

Write Learn basic life skills
Comprehension Operations
 What is Foundational
Literacy and Numeracy?
 Oral Language Development
Includes improved listening comprehension; oral vocabulary
and extended conversation skills. The experiences in oral
language are important for developing skills of reading and
writing.

Decoding
Involves deciphering written words based on understanding
FOUNDATIONAL the relationship between symbols and their sounds
LANGUAGE AND LITERACY
Reading Fluency
Refers to the ability to read a text with accuracy, speed
The pre-existing knowledge (automaticity), expression (prosody), and comprehension that
allows children to make meaning from the text. Many children
of language helps in building recognise aksharas, but read them laboriously, one-by-one.
literacy skills in languages.
Reading Comprehension
The key components in Involves constructing meaning from a text and thinking
Foundational Language and critically about it. This domain covers the competencies of
understanding texts and retrieving information from them, as
Literacy are: well as interpreting texts.

Writing
This domain includes the competencies of writing aksharas and
words as well as writing for expression
 Pre-number concepts
Count and understand the number system

Numbers and operations on numbers

Learn conventions needed for mastery of
Mathematical techniques such as the use of a base
FOUNDATIONAL NUMERACY ten system to represent numbers

Foundational Numeracy Shapes and Spatial Understanding

Perform simple computations in her/his own way up
means the ability to reason
to three-digit numbers and apply these to their day
and to apply simple to life activities in different contexts
numerical concepts in daily
life problem solving. The Measurement
Understand and use standard algorithms to perform
major aspects and operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication
components of early and division on numbers up to three digits
mathematics are: Data Handling
Identify and extend simple patterns starting from
repeating shapes to patterns in numbers, interpret
simple data/information in his/her daily life activities
National Mission: NIPUN BHARAT Vision

The vision of the Mission is to create an enabling

environment to ensure universal acquisition of
foundational literacy and numeracy, so that by
2026-27 every child achieves the desired
learning competencies in reading, writing and
numeracy at the end of Grade III and not later
than Grade V.
National Mission: OBJECTIVES of the Mission
The programme will be implemented in the mission mode, with the use and strengthening of the existing mainstream structures. The
Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (MoE) will be the implementing agency at the national level and
will be headed by a Mission Director:
4
To ensure availability and effective
3 usage of high-quality and culturally
To make children understand the 5
reasoning in the domains of number, responsive teaching learning material
measurement, and shapes; and in children‟s familiar/home/mother To focus on continuous capacity
enable them to become language(s). building of teachers, head teachers,
independent in problem solving by academic resource persons and
way of numeracy and spatial education administrators.
understanding skills.
2
6
To enable children to become To actively engage with all
motivated, independent, and stakeholders i.e., Teachers, Parents,
engaged readers and writers with Students and Community, policy
comprehension possessing makers for building a strong
sustainable reading and writing skills. foundation of lifelong learning.

1 To ensure an inclusive classroom 7

environment by incorporating play, To ensure assessment „as, of and for‟
discovery, and activity-based learning through portfolios, group
pedagogies, linking it to the daily life and collaborative work, project work,
situations of the children and formal 8 quizzes, role plays, games, oral
inclusion of children‟s home presentations, short tests, etc.
languages.
To ensure tracking of learning
levels of all students.
 Academic
approaches
The Learning outcomes for Foundational learning have been divided
into 3 Development goals
The Learning outcomes for Foundational learning have been Holistic Development
divided into 3 three developmental goals: Goal 1-HW (Health and
of a child
Wellbeing), Goal 2-EC (Effective Communicators), Goal 3-IL
(Involved Learners). Key competencies of each goal have also
been identified.

Effective Goal 3: Children

Goal 1: Children Goal 2: Children
Health and Well- Communication become evolved
maintain good become
being (HW) (EC) health and well- effective
learners and
connect with
being communicators
their environment
Involved
Learners (IL)
KEY KEY KEY
COMMPETENCIES COMMPETENCIES COMMPETENCIES
• The developmental goals have been further divided into six
levels corresponding to the 3 years of ECCE followed by 3
years of schooling. Learning Learning Learning
Outcomes: One Outcomes: One Outcomes: One
• Each learning outcome has been given a number/code for or more LOs for or more LOs for or more LOs for
easy identification and referencing. It is important to every every every
competency competency competency
understand that these numbers are not hierarchical, but these
experiences can be provided simultaneously in an integrated
way.
Lakshyas: Learning Goals of the Mission
The National Mission will declare the overall national targets in achieving
learning outcomes, including year wise outcomes to be achieved by the
year 2026-27 by each State/UT. The overall literacy and numeracy targets
• Read with meaning
to achieve the objectives of the Mission are set in the form of Lakshya or • at least 60 words per
Targets for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy starting from the minute
Balvatika.
• Read and write numbers
• Read with meaning
up to 9999
• Reads small • 45-60 words per
• Solve simple
sentences consisting minute
multiplication problems
of at least 4-5 simple
• Recognises letters and words in an age
corresponding sounds • Read and write
appropriate unknown numbers up to 999
• Reads simple words text.
comprising of at least 2
to 3 alphabets. • Read and write
• Subtract numbers up
to 99 Grade 3
numbers up to 99
• Perform simple
• Recognizes and reads
addition and
numerals up to 10.
• Arranges
subtraction Grade 2
numbers/objects/shapes
/occurrence of events in
a sequence
Grade 1
Balvatika
Learning Assessments
Assessment is vital to track children‟s progress in a continuous and comprehensive manner using multiple techniques of assessment.
It aims at early identification of learning gaps at each foundational stage i.e., at FYL-1, FYL-2, FYL-3, FYL-4, FYL-5 and FYL-6 including
children with special needs so that there can be possibilities of early intervention through referral to specialists.

A holistic and purposive assessment is vital to track children‟s progress by using different techniques to help the
stakeholders to:

Identify the Potentiate Contribute to

Collaborate
child‟s child‟s early
to solve
strengths, performance identification of
issues and
needs, and scaffold learning gaps
areas of
interests and it through and learning
concerns.
preferences. interventions difficulties

Assessment during Large-scale standardised

School Based Assessment (SBA)
the foundational SBA at the foundational stage
assessment
Large scale assessment data at
learning can be should be stress-free and largely the State, National or the
through qualitative observation
broadly categorized based on performance of the
International level focuses on the
„System‟ and describes the
into two major child in a multitude of educational health of the nation,
experiences and activities
areas, namely state or district.
 • Emphasis on Child Centred
Pedagogy
Pedagogy for creating an • Emphasis on interactive
inclusive classroom classroom including authentic,
appropriate, and accessible toys
and materials.

• Toy-based pedagogy

• Activity based/ experiential

learning

• Play based

• Art-integrated/sport-integrated

• Story-telling-based

Contextualisation materials keeping in view the • ICT-integrated learning

linguistic and social diversity of each State/UT
Empowering Teachers

In view of the challenges of in-service

teacher training across the different
stages of school education, NCERT has Specific Teacher Training Modules
focusing on FL&N will be designed
designed an innovative integrated
through NISHTHA
programme of teacher training, now,
popularly known as NISHTHA (National
Initiative for School Heads‟ and FLN-NISHTHA modules will specifically
contain a module on bridging the
Teachers‟ Holistic Advancement)
language barrier and teaching in
mother tongue/regional
language/home language.

FLN-NISHTHA will contain a specific

module on peer learning and how
parents can be utilized as volunteers in
the schools.
Expanding the scope and use of DIKSHA for FLN
Using DIKSHA to enable Student Learning: range from explanation videos, interactive
assessment items, worksheets, reading materials, etc. will be available

LITERACY CONTENT NUMERACY CONTENT

01 Read Along –digital read-along material. 01 Explanation Video Type

02 Reading Comprehension 02 Short videos clarifying misconceptions

03 Grammar Question Bank 03 Real World Example Videos

04 Children‟s literature- local lore and folk tales 04 Assessment Banks

Using DIKSHA to enable Teacher Professional Development

Various teacher training resources including:
• Training modules
• Supportive materials for the training sessions, like hand-outs, videos, reading resources,
• Teaching-learning materials
• Instructional strategies, teacher handbook, activity booklets etc. will also be made available.
 School Preparation Module

85% of a child's brain develops before the age of 6

NEP-2020 has recommended the development of „3-month play-based

„school preparation module‟ for all Grade 1 Students‟ by the NCERT, as Accordingly, the
an interim measure to ensure that all children are school ready till NCERT has
universal provisioning of quality preschool education is achieved.
developed 3 Months
 A School Preparation Module (SPM) is essentially around 12 weeks of
developmentally appropriate instruction at the beginning of Class I
Play Based „School
designed to bolster a child‟s pre-literacy, pre-numeracy, cognitive and Preparation Module‟
social skills.
that can be
adapted or adopted
by States and UTs as
per their need
 It is expected that this module would consist of the activities and
workbooks around the learning of alphabets, sounds, words, colours,
shapes, and numbers, and involving collaborations with peers and parents.
Administrative
Approaches
National Mission: Implementation Mechanism

A five-tier Implementation mechanism for the Mission will be set up at the

NATIONAL-STATE-DISTRICT-BLOCK-SCHOOL level

National Mission

State Mission
District Mission
Block/Cluster
level mission
School Management
Committee &
Community
participation
Role of various Stakeholders
& Institutions in the Mission
Role of States/UTs
Ensure availability of
adequate number of
Contextualise the National
States and UTs have a critical Creating multi-year Action Mission by preparing state
Teachers in each school at
each grade from pre-primary
role to play to achieve the goal plans to achieve their specific Stage-wise Action
to grade 3 and extensive
of foundational literacy and respective FLN targets. Plan based on gaps identified
capacity building of teachers
in NAS.
numeracy by 2025-26, in mission for implementing FLN in
mission mode.
mode. The following activities
would need to be ensured:

Ensuring delivery of textbooks

Mapping of database of Identify a pool of mentors to
and uniforms to students
each child enrolled in render academic support to
before the start of academic
foundational grades. teachers.
session.

Training of SMC members,

School/public libraries will be awareness drives for parents
made integral part of and community to make
teaching learning process. them understand the desired
level of learning outcome.
“It takes a village to
raise a child”
• A successful mission to improve
foundational learning of all children in
our country cannot be envisaged
without an active role played by
several Institutions, Teachers, Parents,
Community, Local Bodies, etc.

• Each stakeholder plays a valuable role

in the mission
Community Organise various activities supported by teacher &
Aanganwadi sevika/sahayika i.e.
Involvement
• School readiness melas
• Gunotsava/ Pravashotsav for children and their mothers:
• Reading, quiz competitions, awards and recognitions

Local This will encourage

involvement.
children and ensure community

Bodies/Panchayats
• Undertake Baseline analysis as prescribed by the State to identify
struggling learners and status school/class wise.
• Ensuring 100% enrolment of all children in the Panchayat in schools at
appropriate levels.
• Ensuring ZERO drop out and NO out of school children.
• Ensuring all children in foundational years achieve basic minimum
proficiency in Literacy and Numeracy.
• Connecting volunteer parents to schools to help the school achieve
the FLN goals.
Monitoring and Information Technology Framework
• The Mission at the National level, State Level and district level will monitor Mission
activities through IT based solutions which shall include field level child wise monitoring.
• The monitoring framework proposed will essentially be of two types:
o Annual Monitoring Surveys and
o Concurrent Monitoring.
• Further, the priorities for FLN are stated in the goals and these can be achieved by leveraging the
existing building blocks such as DIKSHA and UDISE+, which may be enhanced by leveraging open-
source tools and solutions for registries and identities while at the same time following the principles
and standards set down by NDEAR, as per the following:

The framework and architecture for the FLN

Data collection and measurement should
NDEAR institutional framework led by MoE
enable automatic data collection and
may identify the areas where standards,
collation from multiple sources and at
specifications and policies need to be put different frequencies and levels without need
in place in order to achieve the above- for special collection drives, pulling of data
mentioned policy goals. from different systems, synchronization,
manual uploading etc.
 Impact of FLN mission

Emphasis on Activity- Improvement in

based learning. A Assessment to be
based on learning transition rate of
conducive learning outcomes primary to upper- • Children to achieve steeper
environment to improve primary learning trajectory which may
the quality of education.
have positive impacts on later life
outcomes and employment.
• FLN will ensure holistic
development of the child by
focusing on different domains of
development
o Physical and motor development
o Socio-emotional development
o Literacy and numeracy
development
Since almost every child o Cognitive development
Intensive capacity
attends early grades,
therefore, focus on that It will enable children to building of teachers to o Life skills etc.
stage will also benefit the keep them in class make them empowered
socio-economic thereby reducing the and provide greater
disadvantageous group numbers of dropouts autonomy for choosing
thus ensuring access to the pedagogy
equitable and inclusive
quality education
Thank you!