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Three students in matching uniforms sit side by side at a wooden desk in front of a window with metal bars, focused on an open book and papers spread before them, with a pencil case and other school supplies nearby.
  • 37 took part
  • 2 facilitators

Friday 25 September 2026

Reading for meaning with Stories, Voices and Confidence

Facilitated by a facilitator

What the work needed: people, time, money, space and materials.
What went in
Copies of "Matilda" and short reading extracts.
Outside help
The school teacher in charge of the programme helped support the groups.
Time
2 hours

What was done with those inputs, step by step.

Stories, Voices and Confidence began on July 10 with Standard 7 girls at SDPY Girls High School. We raised funds to buy 50 copies of Roald Dahl's "Matilda". Penguin India gave us a discount. We will use the books with future groups too. Through the story, we are helping the girls understand what they read and share their ideas.

Between monsoon rains, Onam, exams and the youth festival, it had been some time since we last met. During the break, we encouraged the girls to read for 15 minutes a day and note difficult words.

In our first session back, the girls were at different points in the book. Some had finished it. We planned for 37 girls to read short extracts in groups and then act out scenes or show them through still pictures.

Many could read the English words but struggled to understand the passages. Olimalar facilitators and the school teacher moved between groups to help them work through the meaning. With support, the girls understood their extracts, but we did not move on to the performances.

The session showed us where to focus next: helping the girls pause, ask questions and understand the story before presenting it.

What changed for the people who took part, and what showed it.

The girls initially struggled to understand their extracts despite being able to read the words. With support from facilitators, they worked through the meaning and understood their parts of the story. We have not yet checked whether they can do this independently.

(We observed it)

What the team will keep or change next time.

Reading aloud did not always show understanding. Short passages, pair discussion and checking meaning in Malayalam helped us see what the girls understood. We need to spend more time checking meaning together before moving to acting or presentation.

EducationMentoringReading ClubOlimalar FoundationSDPY Girls High School

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