Students in the early grades often spend much of their classroom time listening rather than speaking, asking questions or interacting with their teachers and classmates, according to the Teaching Learning Practices Survey (TLPS) 2025.
The survey was conducted by the Language and Learning Foundation (LLF) and studied teaching practices in Grade 1 and Grade 2 classrooms across nine states. It covered 1,050 classrooms, with a focus on how teachers approach language and mathematics lessons.
The findings showed that children in nearly two-thirds of the classrooms were mostly quiet during lessons. They had limited opportunities to express their ideas, participate in discussions, ask questions or learn by interacting with other students.
The survey also found that teachers commonly asked questions to the entire class rather than individual students. While this method allows teachers to involve the whole classroom, it can make it difficult to identify whether every child has understood the lesson.
Only a small number of teachers used different approaches to check individual students’ understanding. The limited use of varied teaching methods meant that some children had fewer opportunities to actively participate in classroom activities.
The findings highlight the importance of creating more interactive learning environments in the early grades. Giving young students opportunities to speak, ask questions, discuss ideas and learn from their classmates can help teachers better understand their learning needs.
The survey suggests that greater use of varied classroom activities and individual learning checks could help make early-grade teaching more engaging and responsive to students.