IIT Madras NPTEL, Madras Dyslexia Association to offer free online remediation programme in Tamil

NEW DELHI: National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, in collaboration with the Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA) has developed the ‘Tamil Vazhi Payirchi’ programme to help children suffering from language-based problems.

The ‘Tamil Vazhi Payirchi’ programme is offered in online mode, completely free of charge through NPTEL.

It is designed to enable identification and intervention for children with dyslexia studying in Tamil medium primary schools. Moreover, the MDA has been training teachers on the fundamentals of Dyslexia and basic strategies that can be imparted to children with dyslexia, within the classrooms.

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‘Tamil Vazhi Payirchi’ is designed to address the remediation needs, including a screening tool that can be administered in class, a remedial kit and a training programme that will provide teachers with various strategies to use while teaching students with dyslexia.

Key features of ‘Tamil Vazhi Payirchi’

‘Tamil Vazhi Payirchi’ includes modules on child development, screening, reading, spelling, writing, mathematics, study skills and multiple intelligences. The modules are divided into short segments, case studies with case analysis and quiz, and online videos. A short quiz will also be conducted to help them learn effectively.

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Launching the programme on September 2, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti said, “This initiative is a power answer to the question of IIT Madras’ relevance to the wider society. Not only is the institute providing technical support through NPTEL but also through its alumni (D Chandrasekhar) who is spearheading this initiative. This initiative should also be made available in other languages with the help of AI or ML based systems like those developed by ‘AI4Bharat.’ This should be made available in multiple languages.”

Highlighting the importance of the ‘Tamil Vazhi Payirchi’ programme, D Chandrasekhar, president of the MDA said, "Statistically, around 10 to 15 per cent of children are impacted by dyslexia. This implies that a large number of children could need screening, assessment and follow-up remedial support in Tamil medium schools. This program will pave way for early identification and intervention in such schools, across Tamil Nadu."