Breaking Barriers: Ayush’s Journey to Learning

With personalised support and innovative teaching strategies, Ayush, a struggling learner, overcame his challenges and gained confidence in numeracy, actively participating in class for the first time

Marathi Middle School, Bahadarpur, sits five kilometres from Burhanpur district headquarters. In 2023, Teacher Gokul Mahajan joined the Teacher Innovator Programme (TIP), where he discovered exciting new ways to teach number sense.

Eager to put his learning into practice, Teacher Gokul welcomed Coach Deeksha Mishra into his classroom. Deeksha observed him teaching 3rd-grade students about number sense, grappling with large numbers in his familiar, traditional style. While some children readily grasped the concepts, Deeksha noticed a handful were disengaged, their faces blank.

During their subsequent coaching session, Deeksha gently pointed this out. Teacher Gokul confessed, “I have 46 children in my class. Many are irregular, some have only just started. It makes teaching, and their learning, incredibly challenging.”

One of these children was Ayush. He’d been in and out of school since 1st grade, and after much persuasion, had only recently returned. But the classroom environment, the 3rd-grade curriculum, everything was all too much for him. Ayush struggled, hampered by a learning disability and a lack of foundational numeracy and literacy skills.

Deeksha decided to demonstrate a different approach. She gathered the children into a circle and introduced the concept of decomposing 8-digit numbers. She used simple sticks as Teaching Learning Materials (TLM), patiently guiding Ayush and the other irregular attendees to physically break down the number 8, and placing the sticks to represent the bonds. As the children’s confidence grew, so did the numbers, with everyone — even Ayush — diligently recording the process in their notebooks and on the floor.

Ayush’s teacher was astonished. “I was amazed,” he said. “Even the children who are normally quiet and withdrawn were completely absorbed. It was Ayush’s fourth day back in class, his first time in 3rd grade after missing so much. He’s very quiet, has learning difficulties, and learns slowly. His parents told me he’s the same at home, hardly speaks at all. But they desperately want him to learn.”

Gokul’s voice filled with hope. “And today, I saw him making circles in his notebook, writing numbers using the number bond strategy!”

Before leaving, the coach and the teacher — Deeksha and Gokul — worked together to create a personalised plan for Ayush and the other children who were struggling. Deeksha also shared the square grid paper method, a technique to help children visualise numbers before moving to abstract representation.

On her follow-up visits, Deeksha helped Teacher Gokul establish a dedicated corner for Ayush and two other similar learners. Using a variety of TLMs, games, storytelling, and TIP strategies, these children received the focused attention they needed. Over the next few months, a remarkable transformation unfolded. Today, Ayush confidently recognises and writes numbers up to 50. He's no longer irregular; he’s a regular attendee, actively participating in class, a testament to the power of targeted support and innovative teaching.