Education Across Generations: How Digital Reading Has Transformed the Way Women Teach in India

Digital reading has the ability to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers. For women and girls in India, it has offered them the tools they need to empower their learning communities.

Women educators across India have been using resources like BookSmart to teach young girls the joys of stories. Through activities like reading together and teaching students how to use the digital library, women are teaching girls the invaluable skill of reading. With low education rates for women and girls around the world, literacy can improve their social, physical, and financial lives.

For these women and girls in India, this intergenerational instruction has shifted the way they interact with stories, both in school and at home. With a greater interest and enjoyment in books, these girls can use digital reading for the rest of their lives.

Meet Anju Sachdeva

Principal and Innovator

Ms. Anju Sachdeva started her educational work in 1990 as a teacher. She was later promoted to principal, where she provided the school with strong leadership and transformed the community through infrastructure, health, and academics.

Due to her achievements, Ms. Anju was invited to share her expertise with all of the Delhi state schools. Despite difficulties both at home and due to COVID-19, she remained a powerful leader. After returning to her role as principal, Ms. Anju continued to transform schools and support children.

Worldreader and Society for All Round Development have been able to assist with Ms. Anju’s educational reforms by providing digital resources. The Read to Kids Program has resulted in improved learning for children by empowering caregivers and teachers to read with their students.

“Our national aim is to achieve the target of 60 words per minute by the end of 2026 for every child in grade 3. With quality initiatives like Read to Kids, we are confident of achieving the same by the end of 2023.” – Anju Sachdeva

Meet Nirma Swami

Digital Night School Teacher

Ms. Nirma Swami works as a teacher at a night school in India. She started her teaching career in 2019 while fighting local biases against women working, a lack of proper roads, and supporting a young child at home.

Although Ms. Nirma was hesitant at first, she eventually became confident in herself. Her colleagues at the school were encouraging, and she found the training to be empowering as both a person and a teacher.

Having access to BookSmart’s digital library of hundreds of books has changed the way she teaches. By using a tablet and projector, Ms. Nirma has storytelling sessions with the children at the learning center. She also teaches her students how to use the tablet, allowing them to read stories on their own. Read more about her story here.

Meet Manisha Kumari

Digital Night School Student

Aged 12 years old, Manisha attends a digital night school in Gamharia, Bihar. Her favorite story is Meethe Meethe Gulgule.

“I like sweets . . . all kinds of sweets and BookSmart has stories related to sweets.” – Manisha Kumari

Meet Palak Kumari

Digital Night School Student

Palak, 10 years old, goes to a digital night school in Baikunthwa. Her favorite story on BookSmart is Four Friends / चार दोस्त / Chaar dost.

“We have seen small mobiles in our village and home. Having so many big tablets with lots of stories makes all the children very happy. The best thing is we also get to touch and explore the tab and app ourselves.” – Palak Kumari

Together, we learn better. The use of digital books in education has made reading easier and more effective for women and girls both in school and at home. Through programs like Read to Kids and resources like BookSmart, Worldreader is working to champion and transform the lives of women across generations.

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