Shanthi Ganesh
UK-Certified Jolly Phonics Trainer
Co-Founder & Academic Lead — Phonic Champs
Shanthi Ganesh is a highly experienced early-childhood educator and UK-certified Jolly Phonics trainer with over 22 years of expertise in kindergarten education and activity-based learning. She is widely recognised for her deep understanding of child-centric teaching methodologies and her ability to make learning engaging, effective, and joyful.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and is professionally trained in Kindergarten and Montessori education, along with international certifications in TESOL and TEFL. Her professional development includes completing the ECE Educator Workshop on Active Learning Techniques at the Asian International College, Singapore, as well as advanced training from Andrell Education in Big Write and VCOP.
Shanthi began her career as a Kindergarten Teacher and, through her dedication and leadership, quickly rose to the position of Academic Coordinator at a reputed school in Chennai. Over the years, she has conducted numerous teacher-training seminars across reputed schools in Tamil Nadu, focusing on activity-based and experiential teaching methodologies. She has been actively involved in teacher training for more than a decade.
Driven by her love for children and the trust placed in her by parents, Shanthi chose to step away from a rewarding institutional career to pursue her larger vision in education. This decision led to the founding of Phonic Champs, alongside her partner Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Seshan.
Today, Shanthi co-leads 12 Phonic Champs branches across Chennai, where over 700 children every year develop strong skills in reading, spelling, grammar, and language confidence through internationally proven phonics-based methodologies.
In addition to working directly with children, Shanthi is deeply committed to educator development. She has trained 3,000+ teachers in Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar, and 2,000+ teachers in innovative, creative, activity-based classroom techniques. She conducts regular training programs for private schools and individual educators.
She is also an active member of Jolly Futures and has contributed to training government school teachers across more than 15 districts in Tamil Nadu, supporting large-scale literacy and teacher-capacity initiatives. At Phonic Champs, Shanthi brings together international training, decades of classroom experience, and a passion for child-friendly education—creating learning environments where children thrive and teachers feel empowered.
Vijayalakshmi Seshan
Counselling Psychologist | UK-Certified Jolly Phonics Trainer
Co-Founder & Academic Lead — Phonic Champs
Vijayalakshmi Seshan is a Counselling Psychologist with a Master's degree in Psychology and over 20 years of experience in the field of education. She is a UK-certified Jolly Phonics trainer and holds international certifications in TESOL / TEFL and TEYL, equipping her with deep expertise in English language teaching across diverse learner groups.
Her academic credentials are further strengthened by professional certifications from Phonics International and Andrell Education (Big Write & VCOP), along with specialised training in Learning Disability and Remedial Education. This strong blend of psychology and language education enables her to address learning challenges with both sensitivity and scientific precision.
As a student counsellor, Vijayalakshmi has worked closely with children facing difficulties in reading, writing, and language comprehension. She observed that many of these challenges stemmed not from lack of ability, but from ineffective teaching methods and performance anxiety. This insight led her to champion phonics-based, activity-driven learning as a powerful alternative to rote memorisation.
Since 2014, Vijayalakshmi has been actively involved in teacher training, helping educators adopt effective, child-centric methodologies. She has trained over 3,000 teachers across schools in India and has conducted private training programs for more than 2,000 individuals. She has also played a significant role in training Government school teachers across 15 districts of Tamil Nadu through her association with Jolly Futures.
Along with Mrs. Shanthi Ganesh, Vijayalakshmi co-founded Phonic Champs, an educational institution where hundreds of children excel each year in reading, writing, spelling, and grammar through internationally proven methodologies.
Her training sessions are known for being highly interactive, engaging, and practical. Through live demonstrations, colourful activities, and hands-on techniques, she equips teachers with the confidence and skills needed to support children with learning difficulties effectively.
At Phonic Champs, Vijayalakshmi brings together psychology, phonics, and educator training to create a nurturing learning environment—helping children overcome learning barriers and develop language skills with confidence, clarity, and joy.
