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Remedial teaching for slow learners: a 5-step method from the evidence
In many Indian primary classrooms, some children are working far below the textbook. The ASER 2024 survey of rural India found that only 44.8% of Class 5 children in government schools could read a text of Class 2 level. Across all rural Class 5 children, 30.7% could do a simple division (3 digits by 1 digit).
These children are often called "slow learners". In our view, many are not slow but behind: they missed a foundation, such as reading words fluently or place value, and every new chapter is built on top of that gap. J-PAL's review of the research puts it plainly: schools are organised by age and grade, the syllabus gets harder every year, and children who fall behind often get no support. The method with some of the strongest evidence teaches them at the level they are actually at.
What the policy asks for
- The NIPUN Bharat guidelines (Ministry of Education, 2021) say that children in Classes 4 and 5 who have not gained foundational skills should get individual guidance from the teacher, support from peers, and graded, age-appropriate extra learning material.
- The National Education Policy 2020 (paragraph 2.7) supports one-on-one peer tutoring, run as a voluntary and joyful activity under trained teachers, with care for safety, and makes room for trained volunteers.
What the evidence says
One of the most tested methods in India is Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), developed by the NGO Pratham. J-PAL summarises six randomised evaluations in seven Indian states: when run systematically, it improved learning consistently. In Uttar Pradesh, after its learning camps, twice as many children were able to read a paragraph or a story.
Two findings matter for any school planning remedial classes:
- Training alone, or materials alone, did not raise learning. Results improved when teachers had clear goals, understood their children's data, got regular on-site support from mentors, and met to share what worked.
- It works best from Class 3 upwards, when children have some experience of school.
The 2023 Smart Buys report of the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel, as presented by the World Bank, rates "targeting teaching instruction by learning level, not grade" a Great Buy. It can be delivered by government teachers, volunteers or teaching assistants: in groups during school, after school, or in holiday camps.
The 5-step method
The steps below follow the parts of TaRL that J-PAL describes: a simple test, groups by level, engaging activities, a focus on foundations, and tracking. The details are our suggestions for a single classroom.
Step 1: find each child's level in two minutes
Test one child at a time, away from the class. For reading, use the ladder that ASER uses: letters, then words, then a short paragraph at Class 1 level, then a story at Class 2 level. Mark the highest level the child reads comfortably. For maths, use the same idea: numbers 1 to 9, then 11 to 99, then a 2-digit subtraction with borrowing, then a 3-digit by 1-digit division.
Any Class 1 or Class 2 textbook page in your school language works as reading material.
Step 2: group by level, not by roll number
Make three or four groups, such as "letters", "words", "paragraph" and "story". A Class 5 child at word level sits with the word group, whatever their age. Keep the groups private and flexible; never announce them as ranks.
Step 3: teach the next step, with activities
Each group works on the step just above its level:
- Letters and words: sound games, building words from letter cards, reading aloud with a partner.
- Paragraph and story: reading a short text aloud, then retelling it and answering a question about it.
- Maths: bundles of ten sticks for place value, number cards, and spoken word problems about money and shopping.
Use a fixed slot every day rather than an occasional period.
Step 4: use your strongest readers
A child at story level can listen to a word-level child read and help with hard words, as NEP 2020 suggests. Stay close by, rotate the pairs, and make sure the helper is helping, not doing the work.
Step 5: track progress and regroup
Retest every two to three weeks and move children up as soon as they are ready. A simple one-page format is enough:
| Name | Reading level (start) | Reading level (week 3) | Maths level (start) | Maths level (week 3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child 1 | words | paragraph | 11 to 99 | subtraction |
| Child 2 | letters | words | 1 to 9 | 11 to 99 |
Share the sheet with your head teacher every month. The research above found that looking at this kind of data regularly is part of what makes the method work.
Remedial teaching for Class 1 and 2
In the first two classes, the gap is still small and daily practice matters most. The NIPUN Bharat goals give clear checkpoints. By the end of Class 1, for example, a child is expected to read short sentences of 4 to 5 simple words and to read and write numbers up to 99. Our Hindi guide, NIPUN Bharat mission kya hai?, tables the goals for Balvatika, Class 1 and Class 2, and names a few Class 3 goals in the text.
What not to do
- Do not re-teach the textbook more slowly: start from where the child is.
- Do not label children in front of others.
- Do not wait until the end of the year: test in the first weeks of the session, while there is time to catch up.
Where CMDLearn fits
CMDLearn is building an AI tutor that starts each child at their own level, in Hindi, Marathi and English. It is in development and no school uses it yet. Even then, it would support this routine, not replace it. For more on AI in the classroom, read our practical guide for teachers, or join the waitlist to hear about school pilots.
Sources
- ASER Centre, Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2024, national findings: asercentre.org
- Ministry of Education, NIPUN Bharat: Guidelines for Implementation (2021), executive summary and Lakshya tables: diksha.gov.in
- Ministry of Education, National Education Policy 2020, paragraph 2.7: static.pib.gov.in
- J-PAL, Teaching at the Right Level to improve learning (case study, updated August 2022): povertyactionlab.org
- World Bank, Smart Buys in Foundational Learning, a presentation of the 2023 GEEAP Smart Buys report (May 2024): thedocs.worldbank.org
Numbers and findings are from the sources above. The steps, the activities and the record format are our own suggestions.