A two-day capacity building workshop for master trainers was held in July 2023 on the 3-month Vidyapravesh module, jointly organized by SMF, SCERT, and SSA. The workshop focused on how to effectively conduct the Vidyapravesh three-month play-based school preparation module for grade 1 activities meaningfully. This module is an attempt to promote holistic development by providing age-appropriate experiences for developing requisite competencies necessary for grade 1 as per the recommendations of the NEP 2020. The module is an integral part of NIPUN Bharat, a National Mission of the Government of India on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. It is a 12-weeks programme developed as an interim measure for all children who have entered grade 1. Prior to the workshop, the following preparatory tasks were undertaken: 

• Master Trainers received the Vidyapravesh module in advance for preliminary review. 

• Suitable reading materials on FLN principles, teaching methodologies, and NCF reports were prepared. 

• Necessary training resources, including presentations, handouts, and multimedia content were meticulously curated. 

The module provides a wide range of teacher support tips and activities for skill-based, hands-on learning. It contains worksheets, strategies, lesson plans, and timetables designed to provide step-by- step guidelines for effective classroom teaching and learning in tandem with the content. Suggested activities and games serve to make learning of the concept more engaging, facilitating lasting retention. They are practical and easy to carry out and can be edited or adapted as per the students’ needs and classroom requirements. 

SMF Resource Person conducting Master Trainers Orientation of Primary Teachers on preparatory module of Vidyapravesh 

All the information about classroom management, timetable and activities which are to be held as given in the module for three months were elaborated with live participatory exercises, hands-on-experience for development of no-cost, low-cost, theme-based activities with local materials. During the workshop, participating Master Trainers were given a detailed understanding of the activities to be done on a daily basis starting with the welcoming of children, warm-up activities (clapping, jumping, flying like a bird, laughing wholeheartedly, exercises, meditation, etc.), many indoor games, and learning mathematics concepts in an interesting way. Manipulation activity through arrangement of things of different sizes in sequence, etc., concept and idea of circle time demonstrated whereby students would sit in a circle (small groups of 6-8) and were given some objects like blocks, fruits and vegetable models, number game puzzles, shapes puzzles or playing material to play.