Nirantar has published a range of teaching materials that include basic, initial literacy and numeracy primers for those women who are beginning to learn how to read and write, post literacy material to strengthen newly acquired skills as well as continuing education material that focus on information and perspective building.

The more recent materials are thematic in nature, with a strong focus on linking literacy and numeracy with a particular aspect of the lived realities of the learners, yet taking care that this does not become too narrow in its objectives. Thematic literacy enables learners to use their literacy skills in a tangibly useful, functional manner. Thematic literacy assumes importance in a context in which relapse into illiteracy is a serious problem. It enables learners to be able to use their skills even as they are acquiring them, rather than waiting for a later stage ‘after’ they have acquired the skills.

In Nirantar’s experience the relationship that women learners have with numeracy tends to be an enthusiastic and energizing one. We have sought to give numeracy its due by developing a separate numeracy primer. The numeracy primer also seeks to consciously challenge assumptions that numeracy is not linked to gender, caste, class and other social dimensions, and highlight these linkages.

The numeracy primer can be transacted over 200 hours. It encompasses numeracy skills, functional application as well as empowerment issues. The primer covers basic mathematical concepts (such as counting, place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) in a systematic progression. It links these concepts to how numeracy is used in daily life in rural contexts. While the numeracy primer is not based on any one particular theme and can be used with all adult learners, linkages have been made with contexts like SHGs and NREGA in ways that make the numeracy skills come alive and useful.

As part of its engagement with research, advocacy and capacity-building work related to SHGs, Nirantar has also been strongly advocating for the recognition of the learning needs of women who are members of SHGs. Empowering learning opportunities are critical in order to broaden the mandate of SHGs from savings and credit related activities to include gender and social justice issues. Nirantar chose SHGs as its first thematic area for which to publish teaching learning material.

The literacy package seeks to build literacy skills, provide information and build an understanding, addressing both functionality and empowerment. It can be used for a structured literacy programme for 150 hours of teaching.

1. Sang Padhenge, Saath Badhenge: Bachat Samuhon Mein Shiksha Saksharta ke liye Bhasha Praveshika Literacy Primer for SHGs

   The primer is based on the 'word method', which in Nirantar's 17 years of experience with adult literacy, has proved to be an effective and empowering pedagogy for adult learners, focussing as it does on words and sentences that are more meaningful than abstract alphabets. The primer has a strong functional literacy component and enables learners to understand and use the pass book; fill in the application for work under NREGS; read the job card and so on.

2. A Continuing Education Booklet - Kissa Sukhiya Aur Hakiki Ka

   This booklet, in two parts, is meant to be used along with the literacy primer. It provides information and builds an understanding of issues of gender, equity, group functioning, solidarity, livelihoods in the specific context of SHGs. The material is in the form of a fictionalized story about Sukhiya, a member of an SHG, and Hakiki, her friend the wise tortoise. Written in a highly accessible style, the material draws upon the findings of the two research studies conducted by Nirantar on SHGs.

   The booklets can also be used with SHG programme that are not engaged in literacy work. The three volumes are structured into units, each of which focuses on one particular theme. The two booklets make up 18 structured units (roughly 18 sessions/hours).

Bolti Hai Bhasha

The package contains a teachers’ book as well as a workbook for learners.

Bhasha ka Tana Bana

Tackles recurrent difficulties of neoliterate learners

Drawing on our field interactions with rural, neoliterate women and girls, Nirantar has developed post literacy material for recent entrants into the world of reading and writing Hindi. The content and design of the material keeps in mind the fact that its learners may have fragile literacy skills but have a wealth of experience, knowledge and analytical abilities. The materials contain simple texts, poems, exercises, stories, information, photographs and functional grammar to facilitate a better command over Hindi, improve self expression and develop critical thinking.

• The material is significantly different from language textbooks for children
• It takes on board problems commonly experienced by them: prepositions, past and present tense, joint letters ('sanyuktakshar') etc, and uses innovative exercises to tackle them.
• Critical links are made between language-related skills and the gender issues related to women’s eduaction, employment and women’s identities.
• The broad themes that are covered in the curriculum are women and work, violence against women and women's identities

The material goes beyond content to unpack or deconstruct language itself to sensitise both learner and the teacher about the power of words to define, describe, delimit and expand women's experiences.