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ALfA’s Unprecedented of words meaningfully in a mere
Rise ten days—a rate of progress that
would traditionally require months
The story of ALfA is a story of or even years to attain. These
remarkable growth. In less than a children continue to cultivate reading
year, ALfA has made its mark in over fluency and amass a rich vocabulary
600 government schools in India. within just a few weeks, casting
It has grown across many nations aside the slow and laborious steps
including Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, often associated with early literacy
Peru, the Philippines, the Maldives, development. They go beyond grade
and the United States, all since level competencies within forty-five
the fall of 2022. Its audacious goal school days, versus three years on
of instilling foundational literacy average.
and numeracy skills within just 45 ALfA program reduces carbon footprint with its very thin booklets, Ed-Tech solutions, and
days, or even a condensed 20- paired work in which half the printed thin booklets are used between two children working
day intensive period, may seem as a pair. It consciously integrates climate education within the program, including the
ambitious, but the tangible outcomes reading of stories of climate change. This in turn children read and comprehend. They
perform activities that provide a deeper understanding, for example, one child becomes a
speak volumes. As results come so At a recent experiment to fast-track ALfA FLN, we discovered children can learn many researcher and the other the whale in a joyous exploration.
quickly, it is possible to showcase times faster than our current education acknowledges or provides for with age / grade
considerations, and timetables that limit learning potential, pointing to the need for a
success almost immediately. RCT paradigm shift in our thinking about human potential and about education.
data, reported by Harvard Graduate
School of Education, USA, shows and 0.89 for Grade 5 after just 40 Uttar Pradesh between August and
effect sizes of 0.23 for Grade 3 days of implementation in Shamli, October, 2022. In the subject of mathematics,
ALfA is doing something truly
ALfA’s Accelerated extraordinary. For most educational
programs, second-grade mathematics
Path to Literacy and might involve simple addition
Empowerment and subtraction. But in the ALfA
In the realm of education, ALfA is classroom, second-graders are
proving to be a seismic force that’s tackling mathematical tasks that are
shattering conventional boundaries. far more advanced. From four-digit
Traditional metrics of what a second- addition with carryover to complex
grade student can master are being subtraction with borrowing, these
remarkably redefined within this students are working on problems
innovative program. that often aren’t introduced until
later grade levels. But what sets
ALfA’s impact extends far beyond ALfA apart isn’t just the complexity
classroom walls. Students who of the problems—it’s the depth of
engage with ALfA undergo a understanding that the students
transformative journey. achieve.
On the literacy side, the children
begin by decoding and blending Comprehension: The Blue Whale
sounds to form words—a Class: 3F
foundational skill in literacy.
However, the remarkable facet Teacher Galvanizer: Moushumi Sen Gupta
of this learning journey is the 4C Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity
pace. Students transition from Children of Grades 1 to 5 become proficient in reading with understanding. Here, Grade 2 4C Traits: Character, Climate Consciousness, Citizenship, Connectedness (Social-
children are reading a newspaper article in the ALfA book. They make questions for each
deciphering to reading hundreds other, thereby consolidating learning. Emotional-Mental Well-Being)
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