Our Sunday session begun in 2021 is an integral part of Reading Room Resource Center. This allowed the library to stay in touch with children from the village after schools started operating during the on and off curfew of Covid-19 in 2021. Children visited the library quite often when the schools remained closed but once they began their school, they could only spare their Sundays and other state holidays.
Before the Sunday sessions became regular, art work, board games and movies were organized for them and in March 2021 onwards read aloud sessions were also introduced. Children enjoyed read aloud sessions, they would sit or lay down listening to a reader read aloud. Language barrier did not stop them from sitting together for a good read aloud. Five young children from the immediate neighborhood visited the Reading Room frequently.
In April 2021, a small corner was set up for the children on the mezzanine where they would go read, picture walk and huddle together for a read aloud. Children very slowly began to show interest in stories being read and narrated. They would also independently engage with the books even if most of them could not read. Basic computer lesson was also offered.
The idea behind the Sunday session was to promote reading and writing among younger children living in Dumigaon village both in Nepali and English. The program became more effective and focused from May 2022. Our Resource person Ms. Thapa actively started to train the staff to take the role of reading teachers. Under her guidance the team was able to implement fun reading strategies such as interactive read aloud, vocabulary instructions and book talk and other activities related to reading.
As the training grew and strengthened, the Sunday sessions too grew better. Read aloud remained a significant strategy to keep up with the reading habit of the children. Children started to show interest in reading and sharing books with their peers. The number of participants also rose from 5 to 11 children who came from Dumigaon and other villages.
A two-day summer camp was also organized at the library in June 2022 to connect with their parents. Two artists from Namchi conducted art workshops on the first day for the children and on the second day the guardians of the children were invited to inform them about the work of the library.
A whatsapp group of the parents and guardians was created after that to share the schedules with them. The library also began to offer healthy snacks which attracted many more children. Eggs, fruits, sandwiches, tea or juice and biscuits were served regularly. The library now saw more than 15 children on an average every Sunday after. They became more regular and comfortable being a part of the library.
Then in August 2022 RR received 40 science kits from Rajiv Gandhi Foundation to focus on developing curiosity and scientific temperament among the children through fun learning activities. Children enjoyed the science activities during their Sunday sessions, especially the hands on activities. Some of the popular science kits are building kaleidoscope, concentration game, building glider, slime making.
This year reading instructions such as shared reading, shared inquiry, phonics and reading assessment of the children too were added. They have been helpful in improving the reading skills of the children to a certain level. Many children began to show interest to read on their own; the independent reading sessions gave them the space to explore and read more books. They chose a book displayed on the table and later shared what they read. Recently we have started calling the activity DEAR (Drop Everything and Read).
Needless to say art work and board games remain favourite activities of the children while Read aloud took the center stage of nurturing the reading interest and skills of the children.
Designed by NWD.