At VP's Bal Vikas Mandir, workshops are not just enjoyable work. On Monday, after my first two sessions, I was not well. "Could I have just soup for dinner?" I asked. "Of course," was the reply. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door - Vicks and Crocin to ensure that I slept well. That's what working in a place with thoughtful people is like! On my first day there, I met three teachers: one who had worked for 19 years, one for 22 and one for 35. I was astounded and commented on this to the principal, who calmly replied that often, when teachers join the school, they leave only when they retire. I am no longer surprised: when there are thoughtful people around you, you want to work in that environment! … [Read more...]
Mythical Maze
"Mythical Maze" - that's the theme for this years reading challenge at the British Library.What is a reading challenge all about? What does it achieve?Here's a bit about it. Children are divided into two age brackets - 5-7 and 8-13. Each age bracket has a select list of books that fit under the theme "Mythical Maze". These books are carefully selected, and are especially useful to parents who want to know what their children 'ought' to read. The main advantage here is that a whole group of children is reading the same books, a kind of temporary book club. This means that they have things in common to talk about and discuss - and the arena for this is the workshops conducted at the library. More than anything, the reading challenge achieves two things: 1) Getting over starting trouble: what to read, where to begin 2) Meeting children with common interests: Many children (and adults) … [Read more...]
Christmas Reading
Fills my heart with joy ... … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge, British Library
Last year, it was 'Creepy House'; this year, it's 'Mythical Maze'. Children in the age-group 5-13 can take part in a fantastic journey through books, discovering selkies, fairies and even the Trojan horse. There will also be three workshops for each age-group, aimed at building confidence and improving expression.Here are the details of the workshops:WORKSHOPSJuniors (5 – 7 year olds) Timing: 11.00 am to 12.30 p.m. 21 December 2014: "Reading and Role Play" by Varsha Seshan 4 January 2015: "Exploring Mythological Creatures in Indian Stories" by Pervin Saket 18 January 2015: "Myths from around the World" by Varsha SeshanSeniors (8 - 13 year olds) Timing: 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. 21 December 2014: "Idioms are my cup of tea" by Varsha Seshan 4 January 2015: "Myth Clusters and Buster" by Pervin Saket 18 January 2015: "Myths and Fables" by Varsha SeshanChildren also have the option of … [Read more...]
Reading Workshop at Baramati
"Do you know who Augustus Gloop is?" I asked."A Roman emperor!" responded a boy, promptly.We all laughed; we could not help it.Articulate, enthusiastic and full of energy, the children from Vidya Pratishthan's Bal Vikas Mandir filled Monday and Tuesday with ideas and action."Have you heard of Roald Dahl?" I asked another bunch of children."He wrote 'Daffodils'," came the response.Spending eight crazy hours with over a hundred children, I delighted in how involved they were with each element of the reading workshop. One session is over, three more to go! … [Read more...]
Reading Workshop, Poona Club Library
This is the first time I have received so many queries about the workshop!Here are a few more details, just to make things clear.Reading Workshop for Children Dates: 1st and 2nd November, 2014Time: 10 am to noonFee: Rs 500 per child Total duration: 4 hoursAge-group: 8-12 yearsObjectives: To develop a love for reading To imagine and create To understand the process of making a bookHighlights: Read aloud Act out a story Learn the process of book-publishing Play a vocabulary game Understand what copyright is … [Read more...]
Reading Workshop
I started going to the Poona Club library - no, I never called it 'United Services Library' - longer ago than I can remember. I do know, though, that in my head, Poona Club library was the only real library I knew. Not because it had exceptional books. Not because it opened my eyes to books I had never seen. But because it was a silent stone building full of books. A real library.Thrilled to be conducting a workshop there!Reading Workshop for Children Dates: 1st and 2nd November, 2014 Time: 10 am to noon Age-group: 8-12 years Registration fee: Rs 500Contact me if you have any queries! … [Read more...]
David
I rarely read something that is 'Not Suitable for Younger Readers' and, to be honest, I did not notice that David had this warning. Yet (or maybe because of that) David struck a chord with me.In Florence in 1501, it was essential to know what your political inclinations were. Either you supported the republic, or you supported the de Medici. Yet, things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface. Gabriele, drawn into politics against his will, found himself adhering by principles he did not entirely agree with. He found himself aligning himself with political ideologies that he did not quite endorse.More than anything else, what hit me was how similar things seem to be today. Everyone must have an opinion. You may know nothing about politics, and you may care less. But somehow, you have to have an opinion. If you don't you are somehow heartless or unfeeling or selfish or stupid … [Read more...]
Frederica
I was standing at the bank reading Frederica because even though it is not true that I 'cannot' put the book down, it is true that I don't want to put the book down.There is nothing like a book that is addictive. It makes you want to read: during that one minute when the computer is booting, during the thirty seconds when your bottle is being filled, during the twenty seconds it takes for someone to pick up the phone.Back to the bank story. I was standing in line, waiting for my turn and I read about Felix, who is not a 'little boy', but an abominable 'thatch-gallows'. Felix's sister Frederica warned him not to plague Alverstoke into taking him to see a balloon ascension. But, you see, Felix was not 'plaguing' Cousin Alverstoke; he was just 'asking'. And that's not the same thing, is it?A bubble of laughter rose to my throat, but how could I laugh, standing there in a mundane … [Read more...]
White Dolphin
Who does not like animal stories? As a child, I wanted to be an environmentalist and a vet. The problem was that I was afraid of biology and dissection, so I contented myself with animal stories, knowing no other option.Gill Lewis's White Dolphin filled my heart. It was a story that jumped out of the pages and touched me despite the fact that I knew nothing about the particular problems it addressed.White Dolphin is a story of humane humans and their attempts to be what human beings should be - kind, brave and generous. Questions remain unanswered even at the end of the book, but there is no feeling of dissatisfaction there. Because life is like that. There are no clues leading to all the most beautifully crafted answers. Sometimes, you have to move away from the question to reach another, more important question.During my last workshop, we spoke about how lovely stories are … [Read more...]