Children in Zabol joined Read with Me project

After the start of new academic year, Omran Azarestan Construction Company announced its support for joining of 300 children from preschools and elementary schools in Zabol to Read with Me project. After this agreement, book packages, teachers’ handbooks and activity sheets for students were prepared and sent to the region. In the first step, as Read with Me routine on 25, 26 and 27 November RWM experts were sent to the region under the supervision of Sepideh Armin. The institute’s experts, Mahtab Moghaddam, Soheila Fallahpour and Sepideh Armin held a series of workshops for 18 teachers, managers, assistants, hygiene and nurturing supervisors and 4 volunteers from the “Happiness and Hope Project” from Zahedan.

By the entrance of RWM group in Zabol, our experts were welcomed by some authorities and students by flowers. Afterwards they got prepared for their work with extra energy and enthusiasm.

The first day of these workshops was dedicated to Creative child-centered education packages; “Learning Sounds” and “Learning Alphabet”. At the beginning, after an introduction of the Institute for Research on the History of Children’s Literature, methods and purposes of working with “Learning Sounds” and “Learning Alphabet” packages were described.

In “Learning Sounds” section, segmental and suprasegmental in speech chain, practice of phonetics, method of dialogic reading, reading songs and rhythm, different card games and other activities related to Learning sounds were taught. Also in “Learning Alphabet” Section, the tutors recognized different parts of the book, different phonemes, various methods for creative education of phonemes to children and practiced playing with cards, singing and articulation of alphabets in groups. Also in this workshop a brief explanation of working with “Learning Math” creative education package of Lolopi was given.

The second day workshop was dedicated to knowing “Children’s Literature”, “Quality Books”, “Picture Books”, “Story Elements” and “Reading Aloud Techniques” and after the introduction of Read with Me program and showing the introduction short film, the tutors learned about the characteristics of quality books and how to choose them, picture books, story elements and reading aloud theoretically and practically.

Following the second day workshops, Related Art activities (Dramatical) workshop was held where the types of puppets and the methods of making them were explained. Parts of the book “Rosie’s Walk” were read aloud and the methods of making a scene for this book, making hand puppets of this book’s characters and playing them, were presented practically and in groups which was well received by the tutors.

On the third day, tutors practiced reading aloud and an educational film was shown to help them improve their abilities and overcome their weaknesses in reading aloud. RWM experts also explained the importance of documentation, reporting, necessity of taking acceptable films and pictures in RWM project and how to prepare an useful report.

At the end the Mask Making workshop was held and tutors practically learned how to make different masks for plays upon the books. On this day Zabol Education office head and his assistance visited the workshop.

In these workshops some methods were used to increase the trainees’ concentration, making the learnings persistence in their mind, creating a friendly atmosphere and refreshment such as brainstorming, various motion games, group games and relaxation.

The Institute for Research on the History of Children’s Literature acknowledges Omran Azarestan Construction Company for the financial support of RWM project in Zabol. It also appreciates Yavari Cultural Community and Shahpari NGO which handled the first negotiations with Zabol Education Office and managed the tasks to hold the workshops.

This post is also available in: Persian