The Centre for Unfolding Learning Potentials, Jaipur based NGO, nominated Dr Lalit Kishore for 2021 World Literacy Awards (Academic Award Category, Field ID #2) instituted by World Literacy Foundation (<awards@worldliteracyfoundation.org>), though he could not make to the final selection level but his work got noticed and recognized.
While mentioning that Dr Kishore's literacy work has been reached out to 5000+ people and impacted early years of child education mainly in Rajasthan state of India, the nominators stated as follows.
"Dr Kishore, nominee for Academic Award, has made noteworthy contribution through innovative work in literacy material development; intellectual writing and research work. He has worked with projects related to universalization of primary education and literacy programs such as Lok Jumbish (SIDA, GOI, GOR Supported), Janshala Project (Community-based small school education), CULP-NGO (Pehchan Project for non-starter and drop-out girls through two-year's bridge courses, Dual Code Learning, Room-to-Read project); Disha Foundation for Multiple Disabilities (Development reading material for dysgraphic children and introduction of board games for literacy skills). He has been member of training programs of Rajasthan Adult Education Society. Motivation for work in literacy skills and related research came when he worked for this doctorate thesis (1986) related to Mastery Learning Strategy Pedagogy with elements of monthly study-units based self-paced instructional material, peer tutoring, individual guidance, process-based learning, remedial instruction and continuous progress approach. I’d the privilege of being associated with Kishore during Lok Jumbish project (1994-1999); evaluation studies (2000-2005), action research, research studies for the UNESCO and National Council of Education, Research and Training (NCERT). I’ve followed his published work and contribution to journals, conferences and internet on reading skills, literacy skills, study-skills. His outstanding contribution recently for period 2017-2020 was research in special education and literacy skills for children with learning disabilities which got him Commonwealth Award which reflects his academic dedication. His contribution has impacted quality of education in projects he has been associated with and his research work cited and recognized by researchers and professional associations."
Describe the literacy work that has been and being done with reference to the chosen category, nominators wrote:
"Nominee’s work has been recognized and disseminated through internet and agencies like UNESCO, NCERT, UNICEF and NGOs like CULP, Urmul Trust, and display of Commonwealth Award winning projects on literacy of science and math advocating and exemplifying learning through reading and speaking of math and science for dysgraphic children, including grammar of mathematical language. He demonstrated efficacy of vocabulary reinforcement through word puzzles, word clouds, language arts, board games, and read-to-learn skills, language arts and text-rich classroom environment through big books, word-pocket charts and word-walls. These literacy techniques used in Pehchan project brought it international recognition. Dr Kishore created multi-level and micro-learning based curricular material for contextual literacy in ‘road safety’ and ‘science and craft of gems’ as one-third content adaptation in environmental studies to create ‘text and visual symbols rich’ classroom environment. Road safety material developed in Hindi for use in Jaipur which has been translated into English for wider use. His literacy work has been incorporated in bridge courses run by small schools, residential bridge courses, non-formal education programs designed when he worked as Director of Lok Jumbish project. His work on transition from home language to school language for literacy-readiness in standard language presented in conferences, placed at documentation centre of NCERT, cited by researchers and provides framework for developing courses for India’s diverse socio-geographical regions of the country. He has contributed as citizen journalist through special articles and news stories on observance of Literacy Day, Mother Tongue Day and Reading Day."
While adding more information regading nominee's contribution to literacy within the chosen category, the nominators wrote:
"For his contribution in language development, science and math learning across the ability range children and their location, Kishore has been honoured with 11 national level awards including prestigious ‘National Award for Science Popularization among Children’ and three NCERT awards. His research and innovative science and math projects brought him Commonwealth and International Awards 16 times. His academic insights and contribution are so immense that he combines the qualities of a visionary and designers of solution based applications which are supported through intervention-cum-action research. He even defines ‘LITERACY’ through vocabulary enhancing device of ‘sentence acrostic’ which also works as framework for academic and applied research and it goes as follows: “L: Linguistic ability to / I: Identify and recognize standard language symbols, vocabulary, written / T: Text and print material associated with various contexts and being ready for formal disciplinary /…C: Critical-creative thinking for /Y: Yes-level or reasonable proficiency in communicative for meaningful participation in society.” As nominator from CULP, we are compiling and editing his work in literacy and state that “Dr Lalit Kishore has made seminal contribution in academics of literacy leading to its recognition as an emergent discipline with inter-disciplinary applications since every discipline has its own language. His contribution ranges from thought level to applied level across the ability range of individuals, linguistic diversity, cultural diversity, need for inter-disciplinary, cross-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary contexts. He is a staunch advocate of vertical literacy that is required by all functionaries to perform well in current scenario."
Those who reached to last stage there nominations and citations had the following phrases
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Nomination statements beginnings: the nomination is made for...
...Pursuing a mission to empower children and young people in country by supporting community-driven initiatives focused on education.... empowering girls and their communities in the nation through enhanced access to education, water, and healthcare...seeking to transform the lives of millions of children in Argentina, and they focus on strengthening literacy skills and supporting the development of reading and writing.... encouraging children and youths to have a positive mindset to control their destiny while mentoring those at risk through poverty, bullying, and abandonment... promoting and supporting education, health, conservation, and indigenous cultures and running a scholarship program in his mother's memory, giving 40 scholarships to girls and art students..inspiring many young adults to culture their writing abilities through his Masterclass and being consistently passionste and honest towards his profession through his Masterclass showing that it is not bad to fail, you dust yourself off and carry on...launching Book Club explaining how learning to read at 17 years old changed his complete outlook on life..supporting different literacy associations working with schools and communities to give disadvantaged children the literacy skills to succeed in life...writing and creating six books to promote local culture aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 2020, discussing contemporary issues facing parents to promote a good and healthy reading culture in younger children...Founding of The Literacy Project, a nonprofit organization that leads the fight against illiteracy... working as a literacy tutor in English prisons and helping thousands of people across the UK...consisting enhancing the state of literacy in the San Diego community for 36 years and instilling its importance in the community...working relentlessly for 35 years as a teacher, reading specialist, regional literacy coach, administrator, and private tutor to help thousands of children to read, particularly those with dyslexia and other learning challenge with a goa to reintroduce common sense and appropriate reading instruction in schools...delivering improved primary school literacy instruction and materials aligned with the national curriculum...establishing himself as a world-leading academic in children's literacy, with a specific focus on children's contemporary (digital) reading experiences and having written more than 40 high-impact articles for the literacy field and authored five books on children and literacy in the digital age...working on reading literacy consists of two tiers, both equally important and complement each other through publishing activity and putting reading literacy in the center of interest of librarians and teachers at all school subjects.. spending her career researching, evaluating, and writing about young children’s literacy learning to improve the teaching and learning of literacy for all young children, especially those whose first language or dialect is not school language with multifaceted impact... currently researching and exploring intensively the impact of new digital technologies on readers and reading by studing how readers use online spaces and social media to discuss their reading and interact with other readers whilst investigating how one might draw on these activities to better engage with students as readers...
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