A non-profit organisation called United Way, in collaboration with 25 educational institutions, including BMC schools, shelter homes and more, held a reading carnival at Stanislaus School, Bandra on Thursday.
The drive was seen as an attempt to increase the personal development, cognitive skills, and love of reading books among children from underprivileged backgrounds.
Under this campaign, assisted reading sessions and coupons for choosing any five books of their desire and taking them home were given to more than 1,200 participating students. The books and coupons were given to the children according to their level of proficiency and reading in English, Hindi, and Marathi languages.
Simultaneously, there were teacher training sessions held for the school teachers regarding the importance of storytelling to gain maximum attention from students while teaching.
George Aikara, Chief Executive Officer of United Way Mumbai, said, "Most of the children with whom we work come from under-resourced schools, where they rarely get an opportunity to select and read the books of their choice that are age-appropriate and culturally relevant. The books at the ‘Let’s Read Carnival’ are thoughtfully curated to spark a love of reading among the children.
A teacher trainer and corporate story teller, Geetanjali Kaul, who was conducting training for the school teachers at the reading carnival, said, "Our brain remembers things through stories, and storytelling is one of the most effective ways to connect, especially with children, because their attention span is low and the teachers have to struggle to keep them focused in class."
It's also important to cultivate a reading habit among children from a young age because it’s the purest form of learning through which one can learn a life skill, have a shift in perspective, and the process is rich, full of discovery and adventure. The moment you read a book, it starts a thought process, and you gain knowledge of something you otherwise did not know.
One of the students who attended the event, Upasana Rikame from Chandrabhaga School, Goregaon, said, "The overall experience was good and it changed my perspective towards reading. We usually read books only related to our academics, but for leisure or fun, we tend to use our phones or watch television, but today’s experience made me like books more. "
Student voices with pics
Saloni Gupta |
1. I love sports and want to pursue a sport as a career one day. I have always wanted to read books related to sports people. So, one of the books that I’ve taken is by Dhyan Singh Chand, the hockey legend. He’s an inspiration for me, and I’m so happy I got the opportunity to take this book home today. -Saloni Gupta, Holy Mother High School.
Palak Choudhary |
2. Today we read two different stories, and the teacher read them so well, with so many expressions and enthusiasm, that I could imagine the entire story when she was reciting it. -Palak Choudhary, Vinay Primary School.
Falakbano Shaikh |
3. This was a new experience for us. The books had so many colourful pictures, and the stories were short and meaningful. I have taken five books from this carnival today, and I can’t wait to go back home and read them. -Falakbano Shaikh, BMC Chembur Naka school.
Mohammad Kaz |
4. I am a class six student at this school and I have opted to volunteer for this reading carnival. I was in charge of the English books in my section. I love to read and it was so good to see so many students getting exposure to reading. -Mohammad Kazi, Stanislaus High School.
