By Vaishali Jadhav, Educator & Learning Facilitator
When I stepped into the ROSHINI After-School classroom, what struck me wasn’t the noise or chatter—it was the quiet. A kind of cautious silence I’ve come to recognize. It wasn’t the absence of curiosity. It was the fear of getting it wrong in front of others.
Most of our students are first-generation learners. Many come from families where parents have not completed school, and where education often takes a back seat to survival. At home, their responsibilities begin early—caring for younger siblings, helping with daily chores, supporting their families’ informal work. In school, they’re often labeled “slow” or “distracted.” But here at Samavesh, we approach that differently.
Relearning, Not Remediation
We don’t begin with tests or textbooks. We begin with trust.
Our sessions are built around small-group learning, peer partnerships, and local language resources. We use tools like reading circles, phonetic games, and storytelling prompts that help children re-engage with language without fear. In our Marathi and English sessions, we mix oral learning with visual cues and interactive methods—often using everyday examples from the children’s lives.
One student, who had long struggled with reading, once told me: “I know what the words mean, but I’m scared to say them out loud.” That fear slowly began to fade when we created space where mistakes were welcomed, and learning wasn’t timed, but paced.
Over time, children who had hesitated to read even a sentence now volunteer to narrate stories in front of their peers.
What We See, Week by Week
Take Irfan, for instance. He was in Grade 6 but could barely read a basic paragraph. By pairing him with a peer buddy and setting small speaking goals every week, we saw his fluency improve. In just three months, he could read aloud with confidence during our community reading circle—a milestone moment for him and for us.
“I thought I was dumb,” he said. “But now I think maybe I just needed more time.”
Irfan is not an exception. Across our centres, we’ve observed that when children receive consistent, contextual, and compassionate academic support, they respond—often beyond expectation.
What the Numbers Tell Us
In the past year alone:
- 72% of children at our centres showed improved reading fluency in Marathi or English
- 65% demonstrated better conceptual understanding in foundational math
- Over 80% of students reported feeling more confident in asking questions or participating in class discussions
These gains aren’t just academic. They’re emotional and relational. A child who begins to trust their own voice also begins to trust learning again.
Why This Model Matters
Our After School Program is not just an “extra class.” It’s a structured after-school environment that blends academic support with emotional safety, especially for children who have been failed by mainstream schooling.
Our approach is not about acceleration—it’s about restoration. We don’t rush learning. We anchor it in community, identity, and encouragement.
And in doing so, we’ve seen children reclaim their confidence—not only as students, but as thinkers, speakers, and changemakers in the making.
Looking Ahead
As a facilitator, I want to continue refining our practices—developing modules that are joyful, localised, and empowering, especially in early literacy and numeracy. But I also want to keep listening to our students. Because they often know what they need—they just haven’t been asked.
“When a child starts believing they can learn, everything else begins to follow—reading, writing, even dreaming.”
At Samavesh, and especially at ROSHINI, we are simply creating the conditions for that belief to grow.
About the Author:
Vaishali Jadhav is a D.Ed. and M.A. (Marathi) gold medalist with a decade of experience in education. She teaches at the After-School Program’s flagship centre, where she leads academic and language sessions focused on foundational learning and student agency.
