In a delightful move to engage young learners, a Mysuru-based school has introduced ‘Shubharatri Stories,’ a bedtime storytelling initiative delivered over the phone. The program allows children to listen to captivating stories from the comfort of their homes, fostering imagination, literacy, and a love for reading. Teachers narrate stories in a soothing voice, creating a calming nighttime routine. Parents have welcomed the initiative, appreciating the school’s effort to combine education and entertainment in an innovative, child-friendly format.
The program is designed to reach students who may not have easy access to digital learning tools. Unlike online classes requiring screens and internet connectivity, phone-based storytelling ensures inclusivity. Children from various socio-economic backgrounds can participate without technological barriers. The school has scheduled calls in the evening, making it convenient for families to include storytelling in their nightly routines. Experts believe such initiatives can strengthen bonds between educators and students while promoting early literacy skills.
‘Shubharatri Stories’ also emphasizes interactive engagement. After narrating stories, teachers encourage children to respond with questions, reflections, or creative interpretations. This approach nurtures critical thinking, imagination, and verbal expression. Parents report that children eagerly await the sessions, often discussing characters and plotlines afterward. The initiative has become a platform for joyful learning, offering both educational and emotional benefits, and reinforcing the school’s commitment to holistic child development.
Children participating in ‘Shubharatri Stories’ have shown remarkable excitement and engagement. Many eagerly anticipate the daily calls, often gathering with siblings or parents to listen together. Educators report that children are responding creatively, narrating their own versions of the stories or predicting what happens next. This active involvement demonstrates that phone-based storytelling can stimulate imagination and verbal skills effectively, even without visual aids, making it a powerful tool for early childhood development in Mysuru.
Parents have expressed appreciation for the initiative, noting that it provides a structured and soothing bedtime routine. They observe that children are calmer, more attentive, and excited about learning after participating in the sessions. Many parents also find value in the shared experience, as it encourages family discussions about story themes, morals, and character behavior. Families report that the program strengthens bonds, reduces screen dependency, and fosters a love for stories and reading at an early age.
Teachers emphasize that the program also nurtures listening skills and attention span. By focusing on voice modulation, pauses, and expressive storytelling, they capture children’s interest and encourage active listening. Experts suggest that developing strong auditory comprehension skills at a young age improves literacy, vocabulary, and cognitive development. The phone-based format allows educators to adapt stories in real time based on children’s responses, creating an interactive and responsive learning environment.
The school has carefully curated stories to promote emotional intelligence and moral values. Narratives often include themes of empathy, kindness, honesty, and courage. Educators believe that repeated exposure to positive role models in stories helps children internalize these values. Parents report that children often discuss lessons learned from the stories in their daily lives, demonstrating that the initiative is extending its impact beyond bedtime and influencing behavior, ethics, and social awareness.
Feedback from students indicates that they feel a personal connection with the storytellers. Many children remember teacher voices and story details vividly, showing that consistent interaction fosters familiarity and trust. This personal touch adds emotional comfort, making the phone storytelling experience feel warm and engaging. Educators highlight that such connections are vital for children’s social-emotional growth, particularly during periods of social distancing or limited in-person interaction.
The program also promotes inclusivity, reaching students who may lack access to smartphones or internet services. By using simple phone calls, the school ensures equitable participation, allowing children from diverse backgrounds to benefit equally. Experts suggest that initiatives like this bridge gaps in digital learning access and can serve as a model for other schools in rural and semi-urban areas, where technology and connectivity constraints often hinder educational innovation.
Promoting Literacy and Emotional Growth
The school’s storytelling program goes beyond entertainment by promoting emotional intelligence and social awareness. Stories are carefully chosen to convey moral lessons, empathy, and values such as kindness, honesty, and courage. Educators believe that consistent exposure to such narratives helps children develop emotional resilience and ethical understanding. By combining bedtime routines with storytelling, the program nurtures both cognitive and emotional growth in a creative, enjoyable manner.
Teachers have received training to adapt storytelling techniques for phone delivery. They focus on expressive narration, voice modulation, and pacing to maintain children’s attention despite the absence of visual aids. Interactive elements, such as questions and prompts, ensure children remain engaged throughout the call. This adaptation highlights the school’s innovative approach to education, blending traditional storytelling methods with modern communication technology.
The school has incorporated feedback from parents and children to refine the storytelling sessions. Adjustments such as varying story lengths, adding interactive questions, and including familiar cultural references have increased engagement and enjoyment. Teachers report that these modifications make children more attentive and responsive, ensuring that each session is both educational and entertaining. The iterative approach highlights the school’s commitment to continually improving the program based on real-world experiences and participant needs.
Some children have started forming “story clubs” at home, sharing narratives with siblings or friends after each session. This peer-to-peer storytelling encourages creativity, collaboration, and communication skills. Parents note that children are eager to recount plotlines, discuss characters, and invent new stories inspired by the sessions. Such activities extend learning beyond the scheduled calls, demonstrating that phone-based storytelling can spark curiosity and active participation outside formal educational settings.
Teachers have noticed a positive impact on children’s concentration and patience. Listening to stories over the phone requires sustained attention, and many students have shown improvements in focus during other learning activities. Educators believe that these skills will benefit children in classroom settings, homework completion, and social interactions. By combining entertainment with cognitive development, ‘Shubharatri Stories’ strengthens multiple aspects of early childhood learning simultaneously.
The initiative has also encouraged parents to participate actively in children’s learning. Many families now discuss story morals, character choices, and plot events during dinner or before bedtime. This shared reflection fosters emotional bonding and reinforces lessons in empathy, morality, and problem-solving. Teachers highlight that parental involvement amplifies the educational value of the storytelling sessions, making them a holistic experience for children.
Community members have praised the school for introducing a low-cost, accessible educational program. By utilizing simple phone calls rather than expensive digital platforms, the initiative ensures that children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds can participate without barriers. Social activists and education experts view the program as a model for equitable learning solutions, demonstrating that innovation does not always require high-end technology but thoughtful adaptation to existing resources.
Looking ahead, the school plans to expand ‘Shubharatri Stories’ to include multilingual sessions, catering to students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Teachers aim to incorporate regional languages, folk tales, and local cultural narratives to make the program more inclusive and relatable. Experts believe that such expansion will further enhance literacy, cultural awareness, and engagement, establishing the program as a sustainable, community-centered educational initiative with long-term benefits for children in Mysuru and beyond.
Creating Inclusive Learning Experiences
Parents and students have expressed immense appreciation for the initiative. Many families note that phone-based stories provide quality engagement during evening hours, strengthen parent-child interactions, and reduce screen time. By ensuring accessibility for all students, including those without smartphones or internet access, the school has created a model for inclusive learning. The program reflects a growing trend of combining technology, creativity, and pedagogy to make education engaging and equitable.
Parents have observed improvements in children’s language skills and vocabulary. Regular exposure to stories, new words, and expressive dialogue helps expand linguistic comprehension. Teachers note that children are increasingly able to narrate short stories themselves, retell events, and describe characters in detail. These outcomes indicate that phone-based storytelling can effectively support foundational language development while creating an enjoyable and interactive learning experience for young students.
The initiative has inspired creativity among children, who often draw or write their interpretations of the stories. Some children even compose alternate endings or new storylines. Educators encourage this engagement as it promotes imagination, critical thinking, and self-expression. By linking storytelling with creative activities, the school ensures that children actively process narratives, enhancing both cognitive and artistic development while reinforcing the lessons and morals embedded in the stories.
Teachers have also noticed increased participation and confidence among students during regular classroom sessions. Children who regularly listen to ‘Shubharatri Stories’ tend to engage more in discussions, ask questions, and contribute ideas. Educators attribute this to the interactive and stimulating nature of the storytelling sessions, which improve comprehension, critical thinking, and comfort with verbal communication. The program thus serves as both an educational and developmental tool, complementing traditional learning approaches effectively.
Experts in child development have praised the Mysuru school’s initiative as a scalable model for promoting literacy, creativity, and emotional intelligence. By using low-tech solutions like phone calls, the program overcomes barriers of access and technology while maintaining high-quality engagement. Psychologists and educators suggest that such storytelling programs can be replicated across schools in Karnataka and beyond, particularly in areas where conventional digital learning is limited, offering children meaningful educational experiences with minimal infrastructure.
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