Last week my friends and I organised a reading session with G1 students. We went to their classroom to get them in the morning and bring them to the primary library. The kids seemed excited to do something different, and it was interesting for us too. Once we arrived at the library, we decided to let each of them choose a book they would like us to read. It was a nice way of connecting with them from the very beginning. To avoid the G1s getting upset, we voted and chose 3 books out of the ones they brought us. We tried to interact with them as much as possible. For example, while reading, we would turn the book toward them so that they could see the pages. We would also ask them questions regarding the story and give them a chance of expressing their opinions. We would put them in the shoes of the characters and ask them what they would do if they were in that situation (obviously keeping it simple).

Reading “Rainbow Fish” – a top pick by the G1; Credit: Ms. Polgampola

Overall, this was a fun activity for us and even the kids seemed to enjoy it. Even their teachers, they seemed relived to have someone else watch the kids even if it was for only 20 minutes. We did it a couple of times and each time the kids looked engaged and active.

Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively: I am very glad that I got to do this activity with my friends, not only did they make this experience funny and engaging, but I wouldn’t be able to this as well if I was alone.
• Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
• Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
• Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process