Libraries
Following the model of Pratham for remedial course to sustain the reading-habit among the children of all age group and category, Vidyarambam has decided to help tutors open and operate libraries in their villages. By this they can enhance their income also to some extent.
In the first stage, story-sheets were circulated among targeted children. In the second stage, libraries with more than 200 books have been established under the control of the R.C. Tutors who will enroll members from their locality, lend books free of cost and spread the reading-habit among public, primarily school-going children.
In the process the children who are unable to read fast will be identified and they will be taught the skill of fast reading and working simple arithmetic through Vidyarambam's Remedial Course Programme.
Reading to Learn - Library Programme
From learning to read, the child's ability to comprehend and learn by reading has to grow. This needs to be done through gradual movement through graded reading material. Availability of reading material and regular activities related to reading and writing is important so that the reading writing skills grow and are retained irreversibly.
The intent is to provide these children access to reading material that is colorful, picture rich and having content that is relevant to their lives. Hence the plan is to engage Vidyarambam tutors who can run simple libraries for 50 children and neo-literate adults in and around their own homes and to provide them with simple story cards and booklets suitable for beginning readers. Slowly more voluminous books can be introduced to raise the reading levels.
Every group of 12 such libraries would have a library coordinator trained in book reading, story telling and other activities. The library coordinator visits each library twice a month and conducts an activity session for the children.
There is an exclusive team of a couple of State level coordinators to train, monitor and run the libraries efficiently.