Children like being with children of their age. Once they strike a chord with another child, online or offline doesn't matter. There is only fun to be had as long as they have a common interest that they enjoy.
"Try Tokyo!"
"Can't be. Tokyo is a city not a country. Let's try Japan instead."
"Japan is far from the mystery country of the day."
"What if it is in Europe?"
"What are the European countries we know of?"
"France, Italy..."
"Germany, Greece..."
"Can we please see a globe?"
"That's cheating!"
"No it isn't? A globe will help me find the countries I don't about. That would help me play better.."
"How about Switzerland?"
"Yes! It is today's mystery country!"
That conversation at the Young Readers' Club while we wait for everyone to come, used to seem pretty random until, it started to take a different turn. It motivated readers to arrive on time to participate. Over time, interest in geography began to grow different shades. Some became super interested, started to share facts about countries, identify countries based on their shapes while others preferred to listen and learn instead. What's the purpose you ask? Well, "It's fun!" they say. Can there be a better reason?
The Geography Connection That Has Helped Widen Perspective
The young readers are much more attuned to the size of these countries. They know how massive a country like Russia or the United States of America is. They are aware of the countries that are India's neighbours. One of them even tried getting the right answer within three tries and went on to explain how he did it. He said that he had an inkling that it is a neighbouring country of India. He made a list of those and tried the one that he thought was likely to be it.
Carry this knowledge further to the news. It starts to make more visual sense. Take it to history, there is more context. In a general knowledge quiz, there is more perspective. Make it a memory enhancing activity if you like, just as two readers decided to it on their own accord. They start to come up with unique challenges to remember country names and list them in the shortest possible time. Possibilities are many if there is freedom and encouragement to think.
Note: This was an idea created by the young readers.
Similar such instances happen from time to time. Some readers discover someone who loves the same sport while others discovered that another reader on the club loved fantasy and dressed up as a witch for Halloween. Readers who love the Storyweaver platform love sharing stories that they enjoyed and make sure to give a warning if they didn't like a book.
“Teaching is not about answering questions but about raising questions – opening doors for them in places that they could not imagine.” ~ Yawar Baig
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Both weekday and weekend batches are available at the Young Readers' Club. While this program is for the 8-11 age group, the Young Writers' Club program for the 12-14 age group offers a weekly platform to read and discuss curated articles from the news, observe writing approaches and practise one's writing skills.
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