Shalini is a passionate teacher, an enterprising woman and an Engineer by qualification. Shalini spent over a decade in the corporate world and later quit her rewarding job to follow her passion in teaching English to young children.

Shalini’s teaching career began in 2012 when she started teaching English to underprivileged children in Government schools in association with NGOs. During these years, she understood that most of the children, irrespective of urban or rural background, has difficulty in reading English which led to milestone delays in their academics. Her quest for an effective reading programme that has simple, step by step, fun-filled approach to learning led to Jolly Phonics - a UK based child-centric reading programme that teaches literacy through phonics.

Shalini, an accredited Jolly Trainer, is now actively involved in training teachers and has trained 5000 + teachers in Jolly Phonics & Grammar from 300+ private schools and teacher training institutes. She also serves as academic consultant and curriculum planner in many of these schools and takes great pride in helping these schools move from rote learning to Jolly Phonics scientific English learning methodology. And now, she has extended her services to other areas of literacy such as creative writing, comprehension, all about the English Alphabetic Code, reading - spelling intervention & assessments and evaluation of existing literacy programmes in schools.

A decade long stint as a kindergarten teacher gave Sharmila a wonderful opportunity to experience the unconditional love of children and understand the shortcomings of mainstream school curriculum. The bond, children had with her and the faith shown by their parents inspired her to search for alternatives to rote learning. She believes that the superficial language teaching methods followed by schools at the foundation level neither prepare children for primary level learning nor nurture their love for reading.

Rote learning creates parrots instead of well nurtured human beings; repetition of words and reproducing letters from the blackboard does not enable or kindle children’s thought processes. Her search for alternative teaching methodology took wings when she met Mrs Shainaz Jussa of Phonic Kids, Mumbai and learnt the Jolly Phonic methodology from her. Jolly Phonics propelled her dream of empowering children to enjoy the pleasure of reading and to help them communicate their ideas and thoughts without fear.

Twelve years of hands-on teaching experience and her understanding of Jolly Phonics methodology has given Sharmila the confidence to cofound Phonics Power with Shalini and to chase her dream of taking Jolly Phonics teaching methodology to every child.

A postgraduate in Commerce, Sharmila started her professional career with an International Bank. A PG Diploma in Early Childhood Education at Kothari Academy for Women, Chennai enabled her to work as a kindergarten teacher in a reputed CBSE School in Chennai, which gave her the opportunity to enter into the realm of kindergarten education and eventually discover the joy of learning and teaching.

Sharmila has successfully completed the official Jolly Phonics Teacher Training Course conducted by CPD College, Ireland.