Did you have a student in the age group of 6-7 years who couldn't read the big words and understand the text? That's exactly what happened to me recently. During a parent-teacher meeting, a concerned parent mentioned their child's difficulty in reading complex words in Science and Global Perspectives. I knew I had to find a way to help this student, and ideally, all my grade 1 learners, develop strong reading skills across the curriculum.
Reflecting upon my early childhood education training, the phrase "High Expectations, High Support" popped into my head. It was time to put that principle into action! But how?
I reflected upon my experience of working as an Home Room Teacher. I used to teach the subjects by making cross- curriculum connections i.e. by integrating the subjects. So, I decided to team up with my colleague, Silga, who teaches Global Perspectives. We discussed the challenges students faced in understanding the content due to reading difficulties. Seeing things from her perspective gave me valuable insights.
Next, I visited Silga's class. Observing how she explained concepts, the vocabulary used, and the activities students engaged in helped me immensely. With those observations, I could create targeted reading materials that integrated reading skills with the Global Perspectives and Science curriculum. |
| Educator wearing a raincoat to foster curiosity about the weather |
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| Coloured paper used to represent different weather conditions and learners express their understanding through drawing |
I wanted to make reading fun and engaging, which would attract the child's attention automatically . I started by adding a playful touch to the reading passages. For example, a passage about weather mentioned cities familiar to the students, like Vijayawada, making the content relatable and local.
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| Worksheet on Healthy Food Choices |
To further enhance understanding and spark curiosity, I incorporated visuals. Initially, I experimented with AI-generated images, but they weren't quite helpful. Then, I remembered learning about Canva from another team member. Playing around with its features, I found a way to create reading materials with visuals related to the content.
The classroom environment suddenly changed. The learners were excited! Their eyes lit up when they saw their names and the pictures in the reading sheets. Suddenly, learners started asking questions like, Which one is Naveneet, ma'am and what is he doing here?" It fostered curiosity and involvement, even among students who usually weren't as enthusiastic in class.
But how could I assess if they actually understood what they were reading? The next day, after reading the passage on healthy food choices, I asked them to explain what they learned. Some students readily shared their understanding, while others couldn’t.
To encourage everyone to participate, I reminded them of the different ways they learned in Global Perspective class: pictographs, Venn diagrams, idea maps, and even bar graphs. Students drew pictures, created mind maps, and used various methods to present their understanding.
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| Children drawing idea maps and tables to present their understanding
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| Children drawing idea maps to present their understanding |
This exercise not only checked their comprehension but also fostered critical thinking, communication skills and helped them make connections across the subjects.
Seeing their confidence grow, I felt inspired to push further. The next day, I created a short story featuring my students, and myself, as characters!
“ One day Ridhima was playing in the garden with Seeta. Ridhima was running very fast and Seeta could not run fast. All of a sudden Seeta fell down on the ground and Ridhima asked what did you eat in the morning? Sita replied: I ate a burger in the food. Ridhima asked why did you eat burger? Seeta told I love eating junk food. So, I will eat every day. Ridhima said that’s why you are unable to run. You should not eat junk every day”
The story revolved around the impact of healthy and unhealthy eating habits, and it supported my learners' imagination and creativity. I asked them to write their own stories at home, emphasizing that spelling mistakes were perfectly okay.
The next day brought a mix of emotions. Only one student wrote the story. I encouraged them to share it with the class and happily displayed it on our literacy board. The positive reinforcement worked wonders! Seeing their classmate's story ignited a spark in the others. The following day, more stories filled the classroom, each filled with creativity and imagination. Writing became a fun and natural practice, fostering a love for storytelling and self-expression.
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| Day 1 (Story Sharing) |
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| Day 2 (Story Sharing) |
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| Display of student’s work in class |
Throughout this journey, collaboration remained key.
Before creating the next reading comprehension worksheet, I took Silga's input on the image selection.
Together, we developed a reading passage that aligned perfectly with both reading and science goals.
Looking back, this experience has been effective as it brought more involvement from learners. It taught me the immense power of collaboration, not just with colleagues, but also with students. It also gave me a better understanding of how important it is to teach a subject in integration with other subjects to give them a wholesome understanding. One subject cannot be taught in isolation from another. Working together, we created a dynamic learning environment that not only develop reading and writing skills but also nurtured critical thinking, creativity, and a sense of learning together.
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