`No school bag' day on October 15

Instead, schools to line up reading activities that day

As a tribute to our former president APJ Abdul Kalam, the state government has decided to observe October 15, his birth anniversary , as Vaachan Prerna Diwas or `Reading Day'. City schools will celebrate this day as `No School Bag Day'.

The mandate recommends all students, from class three to eight, to take to reading non-academic books on that day . Schools have also been directed to conduct events and activities that inspire students to read such books. The state government has set a budget of about `6 lakhs for the day . Let's take a look at the activities that will be conducted as a part of the celebrations.

CONDUCT A BOOK EXHIBITION

Students can plan and organise a book exhibition; it can include all their favourite books.While organising the same, students can interact with each other about their reading habits and also learn about some of the most popular books in the world.

GIFT-A-BOOK ACTIVITY

It can be any book, other than a textbook. Be it story books, comics, classics, fiction or non-fiction, students are being encouraged to gift each other a book of their choice, which initiate discussions and enhance their understanding.

INVITE AUTHORS

Some schools are also planning to invite famous authors to meet the children and share their expertise and experience. It will be an enriching experience as children will get to know in detail about writing as a profession, understand the nuances of publishing and the steps that go into being a successful author.

LECTURES BY LITERATURE EXPERTS

The intention of conducting lectures by literature and other subject experts is to broaden the perspectives of students, who spend most of their time in studies and other extra curricular activities. These experts will share knowledge that's not usually a part of the syllabus.

READING A BOOK, NOT TEXTBOOK

Since students come across only textbooks and worksheets while schooling, the day will be dedicated to taking them beyond that and reading all kinds of books. This will enhance their academic knowledge and get them grades. An interactive activity , it will introduce children to well-known authors from around the world and enhance their experience. Reading books can help them expand their horizons and learn things beyond textbooks.

READ OUT LOUD

Although reading might be practised by students on a regular basis, not many know the benefits of reading out loud. One of the activities lined up for this day is to read out loud, so that you understand each and every word you read, their pronunciations, meaning, the tone in which they are used and the context it is used. Reading out loud also boosts our confidence and generates valuable feedback.

Source | Times of India | 13 October 2015