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A group of children sit on the floor around a low wooden table in a room, facing a large screen mounted on the wall that displays a green background with text. An adult stands beside the screen, looking down at it. A laptop rests on the table beneath the screen. The room has windows with patterned glass and light curtains, and the floor is tiled.
  • 10 took part
  • 2 facilitators

Saturday 17 October 2026

Finding Meaning with Champa

Facilitated by a facilitator

Input

What went in
Stage Fright by Pratham Books, prepared story slides with Malayalam word meanings, laptop and screen.
Time
1 hour

Activity

In earlier sessions, we noticed that some children could read words aloud without fully understanding them. This week, we changed from paired reading to reading aloud together, pausing to explore unfamiliar words and discuss the story’s meaning.

We chose Stage Fright, a Pratham Books story about Champa, who loves singing but is afraid to perform on stage. We prepared slides with selected tricky words, inviting children to guess their meanings from the story before revealing the Malayalam explanations.

We discussed why Champa felt scared and asked who had felt like her before. Children shared their own experiences of nervousness, connecting the story to their lives and exploring the feelings behind the words.

Output

  • 1 Story presentation with Malayalam word meanings

Outcome

Children showed understanding of Champa’s worries by explaining why she felt afraid and relating her experience to their own. Their answers showed they were making sense of this part of the story beyond reading the words aloud.

(We observed it)

Learnings

Guessing meanings before revealing the Malayalam explanations encouraged participation. However, some children became quiet or distracted during longer stretches of group reading.

Next time, we will combine short shared passages with individual turns and partner discussion. We will ask each child to explain a word or part of the story in their own words, so we can check everyone’s understanding.

EducationReading ClubOlimalar Foundationaikyam space

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