Four books in six weeks – that’s what my current online reading programme involves. And just like that, four weeks have gone by. If I make participants reflect on their journeys with me, I suppose it is because I enjoy the process of reflection myself. Each time I look back, I find myself nodding slowly at some new learning, some new revelation.
Now, at just past the halfway mark, I can’t stop thinking about reading tastes and how much they differ.
“I’m a cheetah reader,” a child said proudly, referring to our second book, Hungry to Read.
“Me too!”
“Me too!”
“I’m a Bull!” said another.
Where I thought children would resent being categorized into ‘cheetah’, ‘bull’ and ‘snail’, they loved the idea!
With Amelia Bedelia, I rediscovered how enjoyable learning can be. I usually dislike linking reading with learning – it’s done too often and puts children (and me!) off.
But with wordplay, when children learn something new, the pleasure they get from reading increases. As we encountered a wild-goose chase, a piece of cake and a pink slip, we explored the madness of words and what they can mean.
“Do you know every single idiom?” a child asked me.
When I shook my head, he asked, “Then how do you know all these?”
Honestly? I don’t know. Probably because I read and love words. The joy of reading with children lies in watching their faces light up as they understand more idioms, make links and discover humour.
In the past four weeks, we’ve made book covers, created recipes and written poems and book reviews. Two weeks to go, and then a break before the next edition begins!
Registrations are open for all my reading and writing programmes launching in April. I’m also launching a brand-new batch – a reading programme for ages nine and ten. Explore all the upcoming events here.
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