Reading as a practice might not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, with a touch of scaffolding, the same practice turns out to be invigorating and immersive. That’s where guided reading practice comes into the picture. Reading transforms from a singular, monotonous and passive experience to a collaborative, engaging and stimulating experience.
Our library team hosted a guided reading workshop,led by Ms. Judith Thomas. The stage was set, and props were in place. Well, the book that was selected for the guided reading needs no introduction because of its timeless popularity. Any guesses?
If you have guessed, Harry Potter, Congratulations! You are right.
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Why only Harry Potter You may ask? Perhaps it is a text that gained popularity, yet it is an exhaustive read due to its descriptive nature. This could be the reason many readers pick up the book with great enthusiasm but fail to continue reading as their enthusiasm starts fading during the course of reading. So, how did the guided reading workshop help our young participants from varied grades to keep up their enthusiasm? Well, why not hear it straight from our newly graduated witches’ and wizards’ themselves?
- (Ms. Vinita Pal, English Teacher, Secondary Section)
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In the hallowed halls of Sharon English High School, a magical experience was woven by our enchanting Library Teacher, Judith Thomas. It was as if she had swished her wand and exclaimed, “Lumos!”, illuminating our minds with the guided reading workshop that opened the portal to the fantastical world of Harry Potter. Like nifflers to shiny objects, eager pupils flocked to immerse themselves in this literary wonder.
The enchantment unfurled over five spellbinding days. The inaugural day sparked a symphony of introductions, punctuated by a game that had us dance with words and their meanings as if we were “up to no good.” Our task was to bring these word pairings to life, then retreat to our homes to delve deeper into the chapters, our minds brimming with questions as mysterious as the Room of Requirement.
Day two beckoned us into the realm of performance, where we were divided into two troupes. Each troupe breathed life into the chapters they had devoured, their enactments a colorful tapestry of Harry Potter’s world. The library, our stage, resonated with echoes of our readings and the whispers of Hogwarts.
As the third day dawned, we dove into a sea of games – Hangman and Dumb Charades painting our day with vibrant strokes of joy. The chapters we had consumed were revisited, and new ones were explored, our shared journey through the wizarding world strengthening like a well-cast “Protego Totallum.”
Day four found us toying with our imaginations, crafting our magical elements that were shared in a bubbling cauldron of collective creativity. As Dumbledore once said, “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.”
The fifth and final day was a grand masquerade. We donned the guise of our beloved characters from the Wizarding World, our peers guessing the identity hidden behind our costumes. We were no longer muggles, wizards, and witches, living out our dreams in the heart of the magical world.
A game of artistic guessing ensued, with characters sketched and guessed, and our creative spirit sparked. Then, we etched our names onto parchment with Quill and Ink, just as Harry Potter did, each stroke a tribute to the magical world we had explored. As the workshop drew to a close, we were each gifted a Thanksgiving Letter from our beloved Judith Teacher, remembering our unforgettable journey.
The workshop was a rollercoaster of thrills and chills, just like a ride on the Hogwarts Express, that held us captive until the end. It was a journey I would love to embark on again, for “Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.” This enchanting rendezvous with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was indeed “mischief managed.”
Contributed & written by: Ms. Riddhima Parmar(VIII- ‘B’) & Mst. Prajwal.Pote. (VIII- ‘B’)