Books, buddies and growing confidence

This Saturday, 21 children joined us for our first structured, level-based reading session.

Before the session, we reviewed the available reading assessments. They used the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach developed by Pratham. We chose three storybooks from Pratham Books. They were broadly suited to the children’s different reading needs. We printed multiple copies and arranged the room into three small reading areas, with a facilitator supporting each group.

We removed the visible level labels from the books on purpose before giving them to the children. The levels remained useful for facilitators in planning the right support. They were not presented as fixed identities for the children.

For about 15 to 20 minutes, the children read together. Some needed more assistance to work through the text. Others read with a buddy. The buddy-reading approach worked well. When one child struggled with a word, another would often step in to help.

It was also encouraging to see how comfortable the children were asking for support. Some children raised their hands when they could not read or understand a word. They asked for help and kept taking part.

One unexpected challenge was that a few children who attended that day had not completed the earlier reading assessment. We placed them provisionally, using our previous interactions and observations. At the end of the activity, the children completed a short reflection to tell us how manageable they found their book.

Our main learning is that we need to check assessment records against the children who actually attend each session. Next time, we will confirm every child’s assessment status, assess anyone we missed, and adjust the groups where necessary.

It was a positive first session. Books and buddies helped children participate at their own pace, support one another, and grow more confident about asking for help.