First workshop of Read with Me in Evaz, Fars

In September 2015, Read with Me experts traveled to Evaz to hold the first series of RWM workshops for more than 15 teachers and tutors in preschools and elementary schools in town.

In these two-day workshops which were held by the invitation of Mrs. Fathi (Mehr-o-Mah Karani Preschool and elementary School manager) and Mrs. Khezri (a founder of Woman, child and adolescents’ library of Asr-e-Evaz) at the place of Azad University Conference hall, tutors, teachers and librarians learned about “Reading Aloud”, “Quality book characteristics” and “Story Elements” theoretically and practically and learned how to work with “Learning Sounds” and “Learning Alphabet” Packages.

In the first day “Children Literature”, “Quality books”, picture books and illustrated books and their effects on children were discussed. In this part “Rosie’s walk” was read aloud as a picture book which was very interesting for the tutors and made them interested to participate in a conversation about the book.

Also at the same day tutors recognized “Story Elements” and its importance and effects on Reading Aloud and in the practical workshop they joined the activities related to Story Elements and the Sequence of Events for “Elmer the Patchwork Elephant” and “Rosie’s walk”. Learning to Read Aloud and knowing its purposes was the next part of the first day workshop which was explained to tutors using the book “How To Heal A Broken Wing”. In the second half of the first day workshop they continued learning practically, they divided into groups of three persons, each group chose a book and performed Reading Aloud and Related activities before and after reading suggested by themselves. Then each group designed a poster for the story elements of their book using paperboard, colored pencils, glue, scissors and etc. Finally one member of each group read aloud their book and everyone gave their comments and suggestions.

The second day workshop was a combination of theory and practice. It was dedicated to “Learning Sounds” and “Learning Alphabets” and “Rhythm” where tutors learned about phonemes, sounds, articulative – phonics method and also rhythm and poem. Then the tutors practiced what they had learned.

In this two-day workshop creative and joyful games were also added like “Introduction Game”, “Rain Game”, “Cooperation in moving the paper Game” and “Throwing the Ball Game”. These games which were performed as a means of knowing each other, making happiness, intimacy and creativity, insisting on keeping the turn, concentration, friendship and showing the feelings gained a good feedback from tutors and teachers. Authorities of Woman, child and adolescents’ library of Asr-e-Evaz and Mehr-o-Mah Karani Preschool and elementary School evaluated these workshops positive and asked to continue their cooperation with RWM project.