Understand Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Under NEP 2020

What is Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN)?

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) refers to the essential skills in reading, writing, and basic arithmetic that children need to build a strong learning foundation during their early years (0-8 years). As highlighted in the NEP 2020, amongst all the initiatives the NIPUN Bharat Mission stands out as a key priority. The Nipun Bharat mission aims at ensuring that every child achieves foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Grade 3.

According to NEP 2020, over five crore children in India’s elementary schools lack foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills. This challenge is even greater for first-generation learners who lack a supportive home environment for early learning. Without FLN, these children are left grappling with gaps that hinder their ability to learn and grow, creating a cycle of educational disadvantage. 

To address this, the NIPUN Bharat program, launched in 2021, aims to ensure every child in India achieves FLN by the end of Class 3 by 2026-27. 

As part of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, NIPUN Bharat program introduced a five-tier implementation framework encompassing the National, State, District, Block, and school levels in every State and Union Territory. With FLN as its cornerstone, the program envisions a future where foundational learning is no longer a barrier but a bridge to greater academic achievements.

What makes FLN so essential? 

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), as outlined in NEP 2020, is more than just the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. It’s about engaging children in ways that feel meaningful and fun. Think of it as helping them discover how to communicate effectively, solve everyday problems, and think critically. It’s not just about books—it’s about building self-confidence and curiosity, creating a strong foundation for them to explore and understand the world around them while setting the stage for lifelong learning.

What does FLN Include as per NEP 2020?

The NIPUN Bharat Mission was launched by the Ministry of Education as a flagship initiative under NEP 2020. FLN aims to create a joyful, engaging, and inclusive learning environment where children can thrive. Activities such as storytelling, play-based learning, rhymes, music, art, and local crafts are integral to the curriculum. The FLN skills not only promote academic learning but also enhance a child’s creativity, empathy, and cultural understanding.

• For instance, storytelling introduces children to new perspectives and helps them understand the world around them. Through stories, they learn about diverse cultures, values, and ways of thinking, which sparks their imagination and enhances comprehending abilities. Similarly, play and hands-on activities stimulate curiosity and encourage active exploration, while rhymes and music support language rhythm and memorization. These interactive methods help children develop essential skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and motor coordination in a fun and joyful way.

FLN under NEP 2020 adopts a structured yet flexible approach, focusing on holistic learning outcomes for children from preschool to Grade 3. These outcomes are outlined in a spiraling manner, meaning they gradually build upon previous knowledge and skills as children progress through their early education years. This approach ensures that every child achieves a solid foundation for reading, writing, and arithmetic, alongside emotional and social well-being. By integrating creative and experiential learning, NEP 2020 envisions FLN as the stepping stone to healthy, happy, and well-rounded development for every child.

State-Led Initiatives Driving the NIPUN Bharat Vision 

The Government of India launched the NIPUN Bharat (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) mission as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. States across the country have adopted this vision with unique localized programs aimed at enhancing the quality of foundational education. Some noteworthy examples are:

Mission Prerna by UP Government 

Mission Prerna, a flagship program under the Basic Shiksha Department of Uttar Pradesh, was conceptualized to transform education in over 1.6 lakh schools. This initiative emphasizes achieving foundational literacy and numeracy for children in grades 1-5, enabling them to read with comprehension and perform basic arithmetic calculations—critical skills that set the stage for lifelong learning.

Key goals and features of Mission Prerna include:

• Ensuring 80% of students in every school, block, and district achieve foundational learning skills.
• Schools and regions meeting the benchmarks are declared as Prerak Blocks, Prerak Districts, Prerak Mandals, and ultimately contributing to a Prerak Pradesh.
• Achieving foundational literacy numeracy for all children by March 2022 to boost overall student outcomes statewide.

Nipun Haryana by Haryana Government

Launched on July 30, 2021, Nipun Haryana aligns with NEP 2020 to prioritize foundational literacy and numeracy. The mission aims to ensure that children in Haryana achieve grade-level proficiency in Hindi, English, and mathematics by Grade 3.

Key initiatives include:

• A 5-day program designed to train and equip teachers with strategies to enhance FLN skills
• Endline assessments conducted at the close of each academic year to measure progress and refine interventions

Padhi Punjab and Padhao Punjab

Punjab has been at the forefront of addressing foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) challenges through its comprehensive Padho Punjab Padhao Punjab program. Punjab’s Project Management Unit (PMU) facilitated a baseline study across grades 2, 3, and 4 using the Tangerine app. It is a digital tool optimized for offline data collection. This study aimed to assess students’ current learning levels and establish district-specific targets to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) goals, ensuring data-driven and targeted educational interventions​

Key initiatives include:

• Providing teachers with lesson plans, teaching materials, and assessment tools. These resources are designed to make learning more engaging and effective, shifting the focus from rote learning to conceptual understanding.
• The program includes teacher training in areas such as English language skills, soft skills, and interactive teaching techniques. 

Mission Ankur by Madhya Pradesh Government

Mission Ankur is a state-led initiative by the Madhya Pradesh government. The initiative is dedicated to improving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) for students in grades 1–3. With the ambitious goal of achieving universal FLN skills by 2026–2027, Mission Ankur embodies the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aligns with the NIPUN Bharat initiative.

Key initiatives include:

• Developing learning materials tailored to foundational skills for creating inclusive learning experience for children
• Capacity building for teachers through targeted training programs on using learning material and engaging children in learning activities.

These statewide focus on FLN demonstrate how state-specific efforts can complement the national vision of NIPUN Bharat. These initiatives are critical for bridging learning gaps, equipping students with foundational skills, and empowering them to excel academically and beyond.

What are The Key Components of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Achieving the NIPUN Bharat Mission

Key Components of Foundational Literacy

Oral Language Development:

Developing oral language lays the foundation for effective communication. Activities focus on enhancing listening comprehension, expanding oral vocabulary, and nurturing meaningful conversation skills. Interactive learning material such as storytelling, audio-based exercises, and role-playing conversations make learning engaging and relatable for early learners.

Decoding:

Decoding bridges the gap between written symbols and their corresponding sounds. This helps early learners to recognize words accurately. Interactive phonics games, letter-sound matching, and picture library help children connect sounds with letters in a fun  way.

Fluency in Reading:

Fluency combines accuracy, speed, comprehension, and expression to build confident readers. Activities such as interactive read-aloud sessions, and expressive storytelling encourage children to read smoothly while understanding the text.

Reading Comprehension:

In this skill, early learners start by understanding what a text says, picking out important information, and thinking about its meaning. It helps them make sense of stories and learn from what they read 

Writing:

Building writing skills involves learning to write “aksharas” and simple words, and gradually using writing as a tool to express ideas, tell stories, and share feelings. 

Key Components of Foundational  Numeracy

Foundational numeracy is the ability of early learners to understand and use basic math concepts in real-life situations. Here are its five essential components of Foundational  Numeracy:

Pre-Number Notions

This involves early understanding of numbers, such as counting, recognizing numbers, comparing, and sequencing. It’s the foundation for understanding the number system.

Numbers and Operations

Students learn to represent numbers using the base-ten system and apply mathematical concepts such as  addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve simple problems.

Shapes and Geometrical Understanding

Recognizing and working with shapes helps early learners understand symmetry, patterns, and spatial relationships, enabling them to apply these concepts in everyday contexts.

Measurement

From measuring lengths to understanding weight, time, and volume, students apply these skills in practical scenarios while mastering standard units and basic calculations.

Data Handling

In early age, children learn to identify and interpret patterns, organize data, and draw conclusions from simple charts, graphs, and tables, making sense of everyday information.

Building a strong foundation for lifelong learning is essential, and the NIPUN Bharat Mission under NEP 2020 gives us clear objectives on how to achieve this. Here’s how we can approach it:

Objective 1 of Nipun Bharat: Inclusive Classroom Environments

We need to make sure our classrooms are welcoming to every child. This means incorporating play, discovery, and activity-based teaching methods that connect to what children experience in their daily lives. Using children’s home languages in teaching also helps them feel included and valued.

Objective 2 of Nipun Bharat: Motivating Early Learners to be Independent Readers and Writers

Our goal needs to inspire children to become independent readers and writers. By focusing on their comprehension and practical skills, we can help them build reading and writing habits that last a lifetime. This way, they learn to enjoy and benefit from books and writing as they grow.

Objective 3 of Nipun Bharat: Developing Numeracy and Spatial Skills

Teaching children to understand reasoning in areas like numbers, measurements, and shapes helps them build strong problem-solving skills. By developing numeracy and spatial understanding, we prepare them to approach challenges independently and confidently.

Objective 4 of Nipun Bharat: High-Quality, Culturally Responsive Materials

Providing teaching materials that are high-quality and culturally relevant is a must. When materials are in children’s familiar languages and reflect their culture, they learn better and stay more engaged. This makes learning meaningful and relatable.

Objective 5 of Nipun Bharat: Ongoing Teacher Training

Teachers are the backbone of education, so we need to support them continuously. Capacity building of teachers, head teachers, academic resource persons, and education administrators stay informed and effective in teaching pedagogies and learning materials.

Objective 6 of Nipun Bharat: Involving All Stakeholders

Lifelong learning is not just about what happens in the classroom. Teachers, parents, students, communities, and policymakers all need to be involved. When everyone contributes, we create a strong support system that helps children learn and grow.

Objective 7 of Nipun Bharat: Assessments That Help Learning

Assessments should be part of the learning process. For this, we need to include activities like group work, project work, quizzes, role plays, games, and oral presentations. These methods make assessments less stressful and more useful in understanding how well a child is learning.

Objective 8 of Nipun Bharat: Tracking Learning Progress

Keeping track of each child’s progress helps us see how they are developing and what support they need. Regular tracking ensures that every child’s learning needs are met and helps identify areas that need attention.

At iDream Education, we’ve designed iPrep FLN digital content to align with these objectives. Our content for early learners addresses the focus areas of foundational literacy and foundational numeracy. Adding a quick FLN Content summary for you:

• Comprehensive Subject Coverage: Multimedia content for Literacy (English and Hindi), Numeracy (Maths), EVS, Socio-Emotional Learning, and Health & Physical Well-being for classes PS1 to 2.
• ECE Curriculum aligned Assessments: Image-based assessments for Literacy, Numeracy, and EVS, tailored to classes PS1 to 2.
• Engaging Worksheets: We offer worksheets covering Literacy, Numeracy, EVS, Socio-Emotional Learning, and Health & Physical Well-being for early learners.
• Classroom Activities and activity video: Playful and engaging activities designed for Numeracy, EVS, Hindi, and English for PS1 to 2, enabling hands-on learning experiences.
• Puzzles and Multimedia: Age-appropriate problem solving content for children aged 3-8 to stimulate curiosity and critical thinking.
• Syllabus  and audio Books: While there are no prescribed syllabus books, we’ve aligned relevant books with essential topics for these foundational classes.
• Extensive Digital Library: iPrep’s FLN content also includes storybooks, picture books, rhymes, and other age-appropriate materials to make learning fun and engaging.

Instructional Handbook for Teachers and Parents:

• For Anganwadi Facilitators/Primary School teachers: Videos on how to plan daily activities and effectively use the provided material to teach concepts easily.
• For Parents: Multimedia guides with activity ideas to help parents teach basic concepts at home.
• Additional Resources: First aid multimedia, picture libraries, and more to support holistic learning.

Through iPrep FLN content, we aim to empower teachers, parents, and Anganwadi workers with resources that simplify teaching and make learning joyful for children. If you are working to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy under NEP 2020, we would be happy to give you a demo of our NCF and NCERT aligned FLN Content. To schedule a demo, you can contact us at +91 7678265039 or share your details here. You can also write to us [email protected]

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