The term storytelling has been making rounds in the education sector for some time now. However, the practice is ages-old. The art of storytelling and writing can benefit students in numerous ways.
It gives them a creative vent and an immersive creative experience that allows young learners to practice storytelling and writing with complete ownership over the process. Other benefits include creative thinking, problem-solving and decision-making. The process requires students to involve in various soft skills and work on the aforementioned skills. With digital education in play, free writing tools for students and tools for storytelling are available for easy access.
Here’s a list of homegrown storytelling, writing & reading tools you must check out:
Sutradhar
Sutradhara is an app-based platform offering stories, local folk stories, and more. The platform also features video stories, a feature breaking the monotony. The platform features 1000+ videos in Hindi, English, Marathi and Odia. The platform is ideal for encouraging young kids to read culturally rich stories. Users can avail of a 90-day free trial before subscribing to the app.
Pratilipi
Pratilipi provides a vernacular platform for reading and sharing stories. Users can read and share stories, essays, poetry, and articles in multiple Indian languages, including Malayalam, Bengali, Gujrati, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, and English. They can also rate content on the platform. The app is available for Android and iOS. Founded in 2014 by Ranjeet Pratap Singh, Sahradayi Modi, Rahul Ranjan, and Sankaranarayanan Devarajan, Pratilipi primarily focuses on text and audio storytelling.
Bahujan Stories
Bahujan Stories offers handpicked, inspiring stories that are perfect for presenting young students with examples set by other leaders, heroes and even common people of our society. It is an app-based storytelling platform that allows users to read inspirational stories. Additionally, the app also offers audio-based stories. However, one limitation is that the app is available only for Android devices.
Gaatha
This storytelling platform offers users to read and listen to multi-genre stories. The platform covers varied genres, and you’ll find exciting stories about love, festivals, social, comedy, fiction, mystery, and more. Additionally, it is ideal for students as it covers some inspiring and motivating life lessons, poems, inspirational talks, spiritual content, and more. It’s an app-based tool, and the app is available on Android and iOS devices.
MaPa Story
MaPa Story has a unique approach to storytelling. The name is inspired by the first storytellers of children’s lives, i.e. their parents. The platform offers engagement through activities in each story. Also, kids listen and read stories and narrate stories in their voices, known as the kiddie weekend property. Sunder Raman and Aditya Jaishankar are the founders of the tool. All stories on the platform come with activities. These activities are fun and experiential, both offline and online, keeping the kids engaged.
Amar Chitra Katha
Amar Chitra Katha was founded in 1967 by Anant Pai and is a common household name in India. It is synonymous with the reinvention of Indian stories from the great epics, history, mythology, literature, oral folktales and many other sources. It is a popular name for comics and kids’ storybooks, with over 400 comics in 20+ languages and has sold over 100 million copies. Amar Chitra Katha is the undisputed leader in India’s children’s publishing segment. The company has expanded beyond the realms of print and offers a robust digital content library, including multiple TV shows, web series, podcasts, board games, mobile apps, stories and movies. Amar Chitra Katha is still India’s favourite storyteller, and their app is a must-have for all your storytelling needs.
Plop Stories
Anushka Shetty and Vineet Shetty found this Mumbai-based interactive fiction entertainment platform. The platform focuses on GenZ and the Millennials to help them cultivate book reading habits and provide them with a writing space with a unique consumption format.
Writco
Writco is multilingual social writing, publishing and discovery platform. It helps in building a global community of readers and writers. The platform is ideal for young adult students who are keen to pursue writing or want to build their skill. Atul Purohit is the founder and CEO. The platform serves as a community of the best talent, where users get exposed to exclusive content and can find trending stories, poems and quotes.
Stones2Milestones
The platform is dedicated to children’s reading skills and assessment. They are working to build a nation of readers with their innovative approach and different products. The core concept is to help children inculcate reading habits and make it enjoyable and effortless for children as young as three years old. They offer two models; one for individual children at home known as Freadom and called Wings of Words for schools.
Freadom is an adaptive mobile reading app that helps children develop the will and skill to read in English. In comparison, Wings Of Words is a pedagogical program that is instructional to help kids build the will and skill to read in English from age 3 to grade 3.
MINDIA
A team of professional filmmakers started MINDIA, a digital online channel that presents positive stories of India in a short infotainment format unknown, untold & unique. They aim to bring the best of India to a global audience. The YouTube channel ensures maximum reach and brings stories from every nook and corner of India to people around the globe. The channel has some engaging stories on cities of India, historical events, rivers, adventures, army stories and more. A must-follow for the young generation. Educators can also incorporate stories from the channel into their academics.
Also Read: Global List Of Storytelling Apps And Tools For Students
Did we miss any Indian tools you love?
Please share with us in the comments below!
