JoR Hour started as a pilot program of structured reading at one of the Telegana schools in 2019. 

During this hour, children check out books of their own choice at their reading level. We also give them a small exercise at the end of the story to express their own opinions and understanding of the story either in their local language or English. After this, children are encouraged to take any book at any level and give it their best effort. 

In addition, volunteers conduct Interactive Read Aloud (IRA) Sessions. During the session, reading and comprehension techniques are taught so that children know how to read a book successfully even if they do not understand every word in the book. At the end, children are asked to explain the content of one page in their own words. 

This systematic approach helps develop interest in reading amongst the children and helps us determine their comprehension. Read more about the case study and its results on our blog. 

We will continue to equip librarians and English teachers with tools to help them in their teaching journey, so that their students pick up the right book and continue to progress in their reading levels.