Nivedita Mukerjee

Issue #324, 15th September 2026

The festival season is here. Yay!

So what is your idea of celebrating festivals in school? Some of our festivals are national festivals, some are harvest festivals, and some are religious ones. What about those children who do not celebrate a particular festival at home? How do you introduce it to them in school? Do you have parents who object to their children being introduced to and/or participating in some festivals? Do you have colleagues who object to celebrating a festival in a particular way in the school? What do you plan as the learning outcome of the festival for children of different ages?

What about the fantastic art, music, dance, cinema, and theater festivals? Do you consider planning your trips to these festivals with your students/your own children? How do these connect in theme and spirit with the social fabric?

https://niveditamukerjee.com/

This is a free newsletter for parents, educators, and students. If you like my content, please subscribe by entering your email address here.

Three Images of the Week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“During the last fifty years, owing to the gradual impoverishment of the country and migration from the villages, these religious festivals have been considerably reduced and in some cases have ceased altogether. This has affected the circulation of money within the village economy and on the social side has made life dull and drab.”
― Subhas Chandra Bose, An Indian Pilgrim

“I am an Indian and we celebrate all festivals in every region of every religion. That is why it is called Incredible India!”
― Vinayak Muraleedharan

One Video of the Week

Meera shares her insights into the transformative power of narratives and her fervent role in the expansive Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. It takes a village to plan, curate and execute an Arts Festival. Meera’s Journey will take you through the rewarding chaos i.e Festival Production and the impact it has on our society. Get ready for an experience that will ignite your imagination and wonder! Meera, the stage is yours! Please welcome her with a huge round of applause. Meera Warrier is at the heart of the captivating Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, she embodies the spirit of creativity and culture. Meera’s boundless dedication and enthusiasm infuses this grand event with deeper resonance, seamlessly blending art, music, literature, and diverse talents.

Reading with Ms Meenu: Tip of the Week

How Can School and Classroom Libraries Support Struggling Readers?

For a struggling reader, picking up a book can sometimes feel less like an opportunity and more like a challenge.

When reading is difficult, students may begin to associate books with frustration, embarrassment, or schoolwork they cannot complete as easily as their classmates. Over time, this can affect not only reading ability, but also confidence and motivation.

School and classroom libraries can play an important role in changing that experience. A well-designed library gives students more than access to books. It can provide choice, encouragement, appropriate reading materials, and a safe environment in which students can develop as readers at their own pace.

Make Books Easy to Access

One of the simplest ways libraries can support struggling readers is by putting books within easy reach.

Students are more likely to read when books are part of their everyday environment rather than something they encounter only during a scheduled trip to the library. Classroom libraries allow students to browse during independent work, free time, or designated reading periods.

The easier it is to pick up a book, explore it, and put it back without pressure, the more opportunities students have to discover something that interests them.

Accessibility also means organizing books in a way students can understand. Categories such as humour, sports, animals, mysteries, graphic novels, adventure, and real-life stories may be more inviting than organizing everything strictly by reading level.

The goal is to help students think, “What would I like to read?” rather than, “What level am I allowed to read?”

Provide Books at Different Reading Levels

A classroom library should reflect the range of reading abilities found in a real classroom.

Struggling readers need books they can successfully read without feeling that those books are obviously intended for much younger children. This can be particularly important for older students whose reading ability may be below grade level but whose interests are not.

High-interest, lower-reading-level books can help bridge that gap. These books use accessible vocabulary and sentence structures while still exploring topics appropriate for older children and teenagers.

Graphic novels, illustrated nonfiction, short stories, magazines, poetry, and books with shorter chapters can also make reading feel more manageable.

The objective is not to make reading easier forever. It is to give students enough successful reading experiences that they develop the confidence and fluency needed to take on more challenging material.

Give Students Meaningful Choice

Choice can be especially powerful for students who already view reading as something adults make them do.

When every student is assigned the same book, struggling readers may quickly become aware that they are having a harder time than their classmates. Giving students a selection of books allows them to find something that matches both their interests and abilities.

A student fascinated by basketball may be more willing to work through a sports biography. Another might become absorbed in a graphic novel, mystery, comic, fantasy story, or book about animals.

Interest creates motivation, and motivation encourages practice.

Students who voluntarily read more often gain additional opportunities to build vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and confidence.

Libraries therefore need variety. There should be many possible pathways into reading rather than one narrow definition of what counts as a “good” book.

Reduce the Stigma Around Reading Levels

Reading levels can be useful tools for educators, but they can become harmful when students begin to see them as labels.

A child who knows they are reading below grade level may avoid books altogether rather than risk classmates noticing what they are reading.

School and classroom libraries can help reduce this pressure by organizing collections primarily around subjects, genres, authors, and interests rather than publicly displaying ability levels.

Teachers can still guide students toward appropriate books privately.

This allows struggling readers to choose material that feels comfortable without broadcasting their reading ability to everyone around them.

Students should be able to experience reading as something personal rather than as a public measurement of performance.

Include Graphic Novels and Other Formats

There is sometimes a misconception that graphic novels, comics, audiobooks, or heavily illustrated books are somehow less valuable than traditional novels.

For struggling readers, they can be incredibly useful.

Pictures provide context that helps students understand unfamiliar words and follow the story. Shorter sections of text can make pages feel less overwhelming, while dialogue helps readers practise following conversations and understanding character emotions.

Nonfiction books with photographs, diagrams, captions, and short sections can offer similar benefits.

Audiobooks can also support students by allowing them to hear fluent reading while following along with the text. This can help with pronunciation, expression, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Supporting literacy does not require every student to interact with text in exactly the same way.

Create Opportunities for Reading Success

Students who struggle with reading often receive plenty of reminders about what they cannot yet do.

Libraries can give them opportunities to experience what they can do.

Finishing a short book, discovering a favourite author, understanding a difficult passage, or recommending a story to a friend may seem like small accomplishments, but they can gradually reshape a student’s relationship with reading.

Teachers can support these experiences by helping students select books that provide an appropriate level of challenge.

A book should not be so difficult that every page becomes frustrating, but it should not necessarily be so simple that it provides no opportunity for growth.

Finding that balance can help students gradually strengthen their skills while continuing to enjoy the experience.

Let Students Talk About Books

Reading does not have to be a solitary activity.

Informal conversations about books can help struggling readers develop comprehension without making the experience feel like another test.

Teachers might ask simple questions such as:

• What was your favourite part?
• Which character did you like?
• Was anything surprising?
• Would you recommend this book to someone else?
• What do you think will happen next?

These questions encourage students to think about what they have read without requiring lengthy written responses.

Book clubs, partner discussions, reading circles, and peer recommendations can also help students see reading as a social activity.

When classmates talk enthusiastically about books, reading becomes part of the culture of the classroom rather than simply another academic requirement.

Make Time for Reading

Access to books matters, but students also need time to use them.

A classroom can contain hundreds of excellent books, but they will have little impact if students rarely have opportunities to read.

Dedicated independent reading time gives struggling readers something particularly valuable: practice.

Reading is a skill that develops partly through repeated use. Students need regular opportunities to encounter words, sentences, stories, and ideas.

Even relatively short periods of consistent reading can create a routine.

Teachers can strengthen that routine by reading themselves during independent reading periods or regularly discussing books they enjoy. When adults visibly treat reading as something worthwhile and enjoyable, students receive a different message than they do when reading is presented only as an assignment.

Use the Library to Build Confidence

Perhaps the most important thing a classroom or school library can offer a struggling reader is confidence.

Reading difficulties can easily become part of how a student sees themselves.

A child may move from thinking, “This book is difficult,” to thinking, “I am bad at reading.”

That difference matters.

Libraries can help interrupt that cycle by providing books students can understand, topics they care about, formats they enjoy, and opportunities to make their own choices.

Over time, successful experiences can begin to replace frustration.

Happy Reading!

For more information, please visit: placealibrary.ca

Meenu Gera, Consulting Home and School Library Reading Guide

I Think, I Wonder, I Ask

–Dr. Shreelakshmi Subbaswami, Academic Director, Vijaya School, Hassan, Karnataka; https://vijayaschoolhsn.in/

Spirit of Festivals: Learning Beyond Celebration

India’s diversity is not merely something we read about in textbooks in schools. It is lived through our festivals, traditions, languages and ways of life. In a secular country like ours, celebrating festivals across religions can be an important way for a school to acknowledge, respect and learn from this diversity.

More often festival celebration in schools become another event on the calendar. A speech on the significance of the festival, a few songs, some dances, some rituals and we move on to the next celebration. For children who follow the festival, it may hold personal meaning. For others, it can become just another programme with music and dance.

I believe, our responsibility as educators is to look beyond the procedures and rituals and highlight the spirit of festivals for children. Every festival has its own stories, symbols, rituals and traditions that make it unique. Yet beneath these differences are ideas that often connect us as human beings like- gratitude, sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness, courage, renewal, sharing, hope, togetherness and respect for life. This is where celebration can become education.

At school, before children begin planning songs, dances or decorations, they can discuss and dialogue about the spirit of the festival. What does it invite us to think about? What values does it hold? How might we see those values in our own lives? Subject integrations can then deepen these conversations rather than becoming an additional activity.

The purpose of celebrating festivals in school is not simply to know how people celebrate, but to understand why they celebrate and what these celebrations can teach us about being humans…

Three questions for you…

• How can we shift festival celebrations from performance and participation to reflection and dialogue?
• In what ways can we make festival celebrations meaningful even for children who may not celebrate that festival at home?
• How can we move from celebrating the differences between religions to exploring what connects them?

Showcase: Thrive STEAM project, Hyderabad; https://thrivesteam.com/

Food Web & Interdependence

Today, the children revisited the food web and recalled what they had learned earlier. They identified the plant as the producer and animals such as the giraffe and lion as consumers. They understood that plants provide food, energy, and oxygen and that animals depend on plants to survive.

The children then took part in a Human Food Web Game. Each child became an organism and stood in a circle. They used yarn to connect the organisms and showed who eats whom. This helped them see that all living things are connected.

The children also observed what happened when one organism was removed from the food web. They understood that if one living thing disappears, it can affect other living things in the food web.

The activity helped the children understand food webs, connections, and interdependence in a fun and hands-on way. They participated actively, answered questions, and shared their ideas with the group.

Maira – 6 years old
Yuvan – 7 years 11 months old
Tashi, Neev & Mayra – 8 years old
Samyuktha – 8 years 5 months old

And Finally…

Dear reader,

My work in education includes designing learning ecosystems where students thrive, teachers grow, and schools build lasting cultures of excellence through innovative curriculum, evidence-based practice, and meaningful educational leadership.

Professional development with Ms Niv : Click below to find the teacher and student workshops and trainings I currently offer:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ypWO8KpVh56vhYqAMH4XoytLRKMXvwpCAfv3l3fryJQ/edit?usp=sharing

3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter you can subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.

Issue #323, 8th September 2026

The big questions that were running through my mind this year on Teacher’s Day were :

In my sessions of teacher training or classroom teaching, who is doing most of the thinking? Am I doing all the explaining, demonstrating, and giving the answers, or are the children/trainee teachers observing, questioning, trying, discussing, and making meaning? If I stopped talking for 5 minutes, would learning still be happening? Am I asking questions to get the answer I already know or to genuinely discover what children and/or trainee teachers are thinking? Am I trying to make every child and/or trainee teacher reach the same answer in the same way, or am I creating conditions for different ways of thinking and responding?

If I am the most active person in the room, I am probably teaching. If the learners are the most active people in the room, I am probably facilitating. What do you think of this one line test question for yourselves as teachers?

Happy Teachers Day! Let there be learning and growth for each one of us.

https://niveditamukerjee.com/

This is a free newsletter for parents, educators, and students. If you like my content, please subscribe by entering your email address here.

Three Images of the Week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.” – Jean Piaget

 “The teacher must adopt the role of facilitator not content provider.” – Lev Vygostky

One Video of the Week

Sir Ken Robinson on role of a teacher

Reading with Ms Meenu: Tip of the Week

What We Lose When We Stop Reading

Reading is more than a way to pass the time. It helps us think, imagine, understand others, and make sense of the world. As people spend less time reading books and more time consuming short-form digital content, we risk losing important skills and experiences that develop through sustained reading.

One of the biggest things we lose is our ability to focus deeply. Reading a book requires patience and concentration. We have to follow characters, ideas, and arguments over many pages. When we become used to quickly scrolling through short videos, posts, and headlines, it can become harder to stay focused on one task for a long period of time.

We may also lose some of our critical-thinking skills. Books often present complicated ideas that cannot be understood in a few seconds. Readers have to question information, make connections, notice patterns, and form their own opinions. Long-form reading encourages us to think carefully instead of simply reacting to whatever appears next on a screen.

Reading also builds vocabulary and communication skills. People who read regularly are exposed to new words, sentence structures, and ways of expressing ideas. Over time, this can improve writing, speaking, and comprehension. When reading decreases, we may have fewer opportunities to develop these skills naturally.

Another important loss is imagination. A book does not show us every detail the way a movie or video does. Readers have to picture the characters, settings, sounds, and events themselves. This active use of imagination can strengthen creativity and help people become better at developing original ideas.

We also risk losing empathy and understanding. Stories allow us to experience life through someone else’s perspective. We can enter different cultures, time periods, communities, and personal experiences without leaving our homes. Reading about people whose lives are different from our own can help us become more thoughtful and open-minded.

There is also something valuable about the slower pace of reading. A book gives us space to reflect. We can stop, reread a sentence, think about an idea, or simply sit quietly with a story. In a world filled with notifications and constant entertainment, reading can provide a rare opportunity to slow down and be fully present.

When fewer people read, society may also lose some of its connection to history, knowledge, and culture. Books preserve ideas and experiences across generations. They allow us to learn from people who lived hundreds of years ago and to understand how societies have changed over time. Without strong reading habits, it becomes easier for important knowledge and perspectives to be overlooked.

This does not mean that technology or digital media are harmful. Videos, podcasts, social media, and other forms of communication can all be useful and enjoyable. The problem comes when they completely replace deeper forms of reading.

When we stop reading, we do not simply lose books. We risk losing concentration, curiosity, imagination, empathy, and the ability to engage deeply with complex ideas. Protecting time for reading is therefore not about rejecting technology. It is about preserving a habit that continues to strengthen how we think, communicate, and understand the world.

Happy Reading!

For more information, please visit: placealibrary.ca

Meenu Gera, Consulting Home and School Library Reading Guide

I Think, I Wonder, I Ask

–Dr. Shreelakshmi Subbaswami, Academic Director, Vijaya School, Hassan, Karnataka; https://vijayaschoolhsn.in/

A Teacher Today

India has a long history of the guru-shishya parampara, where the teacher-student relationship was deeply valued. At its heart was the belief that education was more than the transmission of information and the teacher’s value extended beyond the knowledge they possessed.

Over the decades, however, our systems of education have changed. With the emergence of a more neoliberal system, education has increasingly become commodified, and teachers are often viewed as service providers.

Now, we have entered another significant shift where knowledge is no longer difficult to find.

A child can ask a question and receive an answer within seconds. There are online courses, YouTube educators, learning platforms and AI tutors that can explain a mathematical concept, teach a language, demonstrate an experiment or tell a story to thousands of children without ever entering a classroom.

So, what is it that a teacher in a school offers that cannot simply be delivered through a screen?

A simple answer is- our presence. A teacher in a school does not meet a child only for the 40 minutes of a lesson. We see the child as they enter the classroom, how they respond, how they participate, how they learn and sometimes, even when they are not learning. We notice the things that may never appear in an assignment or a test.

A teacher also creates a social world in the classroom. We teach children how to disagree without disrespecting one another, how to listen, how to wait, how to collaborate, how to respond when someone makes a mistake and how to navigate relationships and learn to be part of a community.

A content provider gives access to knowledge.
An educator helps a child make meaning from it.

A content provider can explain.
A teacher can notice.

A content provider can give feedback on an assignment.
A teacher knows when that feedback needs to be encouraging, challenging, gentle or direct.

A screen can provide information.
A teacher becomes part of a child’s lived experience of learning.

This does not mean that online learning, technology or AI have no value. In many ways, they have opened up possibilities for learning that we could not have imagined before. They can expand access, provide multiple ways of understanding a concept and allow children to learn beyond the boundaries of their immediate environment.

Today, the teacher in a school is no longer only a transmitter of content, our role is increasingly about creating connection, nurturing curiosity, facilitating conversations, providing context, offering care, and building a community of learners.

Three questions for you…

• To what degree are we knowledge transmitters, and to what degree are we designers of learning experiences?
• What do we want children to remember about our presence, not just about what we taught them?
• As the role of the teacher continues to change, what parts of our identity as educators do we need to let go of, and what do we need to hold on to?

Showcase: Thrive STEAM project, Hyderabad; https://thrivesteam.com/

Pooja Khatter, Facilitator

Photosynthesis in Action and Solar Energy

The children revisited and recalled their learning about photosynthesis from the previous week. They remembered that plants needed sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll to make their own food. They also recalled that sunlight provided energy and that water travelled from the soil to the leaves.

As a buddy activity, the children explored the aquatic bubble experiment. They observed tiny bubbles around the leaves under strong light and linked this to the oxygen released during photosynthesis.

The children also recalled that humans and other living things release carbon dioxide, while plants release oxygen. They discussed why oxygen was important for people and animals.

To showcase their learning, the children created A3 photosynthesis posters, using drawings and labels to represent sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, food and oxygen.

Maira – 6 years old
Yuvaan – 7 years 11 months old
Neev & Mayra – 8 years old
Samyuktha & Havishka – 8 years 4 months old

And Finally…

Dear reader,

My work in education includes designing learning ecosystems where students thrive, teachers grow, and schools build lasting cultures of excellence through innovative curriculum, evidence-based practice, and meaningful educational leadership.

Professional development with Ms Niv : Click below to find the teacher and student workshops and trainings I currently offer:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ypWO8KpVh56vhYqAMH4XoytLRKMXvwpCAfv3l3fryJQ/edit?usp=sharing

3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter you can subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.

Issue #322, 1st September 2026

https://niveditamukerjee.com/

What are your thoughts on ‘Free Range Kids’? The kind that we, our parents, were? Who did quite a few things on our own, without major supervision or adult company? Like going to the neighbourhood store and getting groceries/vegetables, or going on a cycle ride around the city, or going for a picnic nearby on their own without adults? Growing up, we used to regularly go with our neighbourhood kids of varying age groups to cycle around the city with some picnic packed and return by late afternoon after spending the entire day hanging out, playing, eating, chatting, climbing little hills, discovering new roads in the small towns of Jaipur and Gwalior where I grew up.

What about free play with no supervision in school? We used to play in the school grounds completely unsupervised while waiting for the second trip of the bus back home, or in the morning when we were on the first trip of the bus and would reach school a good hour before the second trip would come in and the school would actually start.

Is there a scope of this in today’s very anxiety-ridden parenting and school scheduling? Where every minute of every K-12 child is accounted for and organised and supervised by a teacher/parent/assigned adult? What does it do to the development of a child?

Do the children have a right to roam? Have the cities become less child-centric? Have the schools become more restrictive?

This is a free newsletter for parents, educators, and students. If you like my content, please subscribe by entering your email address here.

Three Images of the Week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“You don’t remember the times your dad held your handle bars. You remember the day he let go.”
― Lenore Skenazy, Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts With Worry

“The child does not work in order to move or in order to become intelligent. He works to adapt to his environment. It is essential that he has many experiences in the environment if he is to do this. ”

Maria Montessori
The 1946 London Lectures

One Video of the Week

The secret to reducing childhood anxiety is actually quite simple: just let kids do more stuff on their own, says Lenore Skenazy, cofounder and president of Let Grow, an organization dedicated to normalizing childhood independence. In conversation with TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers, Skenazy discusses why parenting has become more demanding in our safety-obsessed world — and offers a more joyful, trusting alternative to helicopter parenting, with tangible steps for how to start safely (and sanely) letting your kids grow.

Reading with Ms Meenu: Tip of the Week

The Reading Crisis: Why Long-Form Reading Is Disappearing

For generations, reading a novel, biography, or other long-form book was a common way to spend free time. Today, however, fewer people are choosing to read for pleasure. Researchers, educators, librarians, and publishers have increasingly described this trend as a “reading crisis”—a significant decline in the amount of time people spend reading books and other lengthy texts outside of school or work.

One of the biggest reasons for this decline is the rise of digital entertainment. Smartphones, social media, streaming services, video games, and short-form video platforms offer an almost endless supply of entertainment. Unlike books, which require sustained concentration, digital platforms are designed to provide information and entertainment in seconds. As people become accustomed to quickly scrolling between videos, posts, and notifications, spending several hours focused on a single book can feel increasingly difficult.

This change has also affected attention spans and reading habits. Many people still read throughout the day, but much of that reading consists of text messages, social media posts, headlines, emails, and short online articles. This means people are not necessarily reading fewer words—they are reading in a different way. Long-form reading requires readers to follow complex arguments, remember characters and ideas, and remain focused for extended periods. These skills can weaken when they are used less frequently.

Young people have been particularly affected by this shift. Children and teenagers now grow up surrounded by screens and instant entertainment. Reading must compete with platforms specifically designed to capture and hold their attention. When reading is mainly associated with homework, tests, and mandatory school assignments, students may also begin to see books as work rather than something enjoyable.

Busy lifestyles contribute to the problem as well. Between school, work, commuting, extracurricular activities, and social responsibilities, many people feel that they do not have enough time to read. When free time becomes available, watching a short video or an episode of a television show often requires less effort than beginning a 300-page novel.

The decline in reading for pleasure matters because long-form reading provides benefits that other forms of media may not fully replace. Reading can strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, critical thinking, imagination, and the ability to concentrate. Fiction also allows readers to experience situations from the perspectives of different characters, while nonfiction gives people the opportunity to explore complicated subjects in much greater depth than a short social media post.

Libraries, schools, families, and communities therefore have an important role to play in rebuilding a culture of reading. One solution is to give young people more freedom to choose what they read. Graphic novels, fantasy books, sports biographies, mysteries, comics, and even audiobooks can all serve as gateways into reading. Libraries are also changing by creating comfortable social spaces, hosting book clubs and events, offering digital collections, and connecting books with interests such as technology, gaming, art, and popular culture.

Technology itself does not have to be the enemy of reading. E-books, audiobooks, online reading communities, and social media movements focused on books can introduce new audiences to literature. The challenge is finding ways to use technology to encourage deeper engagement rather than allowing constant digital distractions to replace sustained reading entirely.

The reading crisis is therefore about more than declining book sales or fewer trips to the library. It reflects a broader change in how people consume information and spend their attention. Reversing the trend will require making reading feel relevant, accessible, and enjoyable again. In a world increasingly built around speed and short-form content, choosing to slow down and become absorbed in a book may be more valuable than ever.

Happy Reading!

For more information please visit: placealibrary.ca

Meenu Gera

Consulting Home and School Library Reading Guide

I Think, I Wonder, I Ask

–Dr. Shreelakshmi Subbaswami, Academic Director, Vijaya School, Hassan, Karnataka; https://vijayaschoolhsn.in/

When We Write, We Think Better

Unlike my research writings, over the past year, I have been writing more often, my thoughts, questions, classroom practices, observations and sometimes even the things I am still trying to make sense of. Evidently, writing has made me a better thinker.

Writing was not my go-to tool, but somewhere along the way, it became a thinking tool for me. Just as reading helps us think, writing has helped me slow down, organise my thoughts and make sense of ideas that often feel complicated in my head. It has helped me to pause, question and connect ideas. It also leaves behind a record of how my thinking has evolved. This got me thinking about educators.

How often do educators write? And what do they write?

Some write blogs and reflections, some prepare newsletters, some document classroom experiences and some design worksheets, lesson plans and curriculum materials. When educators actively write about and around the curriculum, they are not merely implementing a curriculum created by someone else. They are also creating, interpreting and shaping curriculum. Perhaps writing can become a professional learning practice, not because every teacher needs to become a writer, but because every teacher needs opportunities to think deeply about what they do.

Three questions for you…

• When was the last time you wrote something that made you think?
• What would you write today if nobody was going to evaluate it?
• How can we provide enough opportunities for teachers to document and share their thinking?

Showcase: Thrive STEAM project, Hyderabad; https://thrivesteam.com/

Pooja Khatter, Facilitator

Exploring Sunlight, Energy and Plants

The workshop began by asking the children what they needed to have energy. They responded with food, water, carbohydrates, proteins and fibre. When asked what gave them energy, they mainly mentioned food and water. They identified water, sunlight, soil and air as things plants needed to grow.

The teacher explained that, unlike humans, plants did not get their food from a kitchen. They used sunlight to help make their own food. The children observed a solar panel and understood the connection between solar panels and leaves, as both use sunlight as an energy source.

Using a globe and light source, the children identified the light as the Sun. They observed that the part of the globe facing the light received sunlight, while the opposite side remained dark. They understood that sunlight was an important source of energy for plants and predicted that without sunlight, plants might become weak, stop growing, dry up or die.

The children then compared two plants—one kept in sunlight and the other in a dark cupboard. They noticed differences in the colour and appearance of the leaves. They observed that the plant kept in sunlight looked greener and healthier, while the plant kept in darkness looked weak and lacked energy because it did not receive enough sunlight, water and air. They predicted that the plant kept in darkness might become weaker or die over time.

During the leaf exploration, the children noticed that leaves differed in size, shape and texture. They identified the lines on the leaves as veins and learned that veins helped transport water to different parts of the leaf.

Through the leaf-rubbing activity, the children observed the outlines and vein patterns of different leaves. They noticed that some leaves had thicker main veins, while others had smaller and more branched veins.

Overall, the children were actively engaged and curious throughout the workshop. They shared their ideas, made predictions and connected their observations to their learning. They understood that plants need sunlight, water and air to grow, and that leaves use sunlight and water to help plants make their own food through photosynthesis. Maira:6 years Yuvaan: 7 years 11 months Neev & Mayra: 8 years old Samyuktha & Havishka: 8 years 4 months old

And Finally…

Dear reader,

My work in education includes designing learning ecosystems where students thrive, teachers grow, and schools build lasting cultures of excellence through innovative curriculum, evidence-based practice, and meaningful educational leadership.

Professional development with Ms Niv : Click below to find the teacher and student workshops and trainings I currently offer:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ypWO8KpVh56vhYqAMH4XoytLRKMXvwpCAfv3l3fryJQ/edit?usp=sharing

3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter you can subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.

Issue #321, 25th August 2026

https://niveditamukerjee.com/

Read when? Read what? Read where? Read how?

Are you reading yourself as a teacher, as a parent? Your child and/or your student will take a leaf out of your book of reading habits 🙂

This is a free newsletter for parents, educators, and students. If you like my content, please subscribe by entering your email address here.

Three Images of the Week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”
― Ray Bradbury

One Video of the Week

Speaking is already in our genes. But reading is not. Until about 100 years ago most people didn’t do it all. When we read fiction especially, we create new pathways in our brain. Reading 30 pages of fiction every night, gets the pathways thicker and thicker. Our brain needs a workout just like our body.
Rita Carter is a writer, broadcaster and journalist who specializes in the workings of the human brain. Her books include the first layman’s guide to neuroscience: Mapping the Mind, which has been translated into 14 languages. For seven years she presented London’s nightly news programme, “Thames News” , and has written for magazines and newspapers throughout the world, including the London Times, Telegraph, Guardian and New Scientist. She has a deep interest in bringing art and science together and is a Patron at the influential London-based Foundation “Art and Mind”. Rita Carter is a writer, broadcaster and journalist who specializes in the workings of the human brain. Her books include the first layman’s guide to neuroscience: Mapping the Mind, which has been translated into 14 languages. For seven years she presented London’s nightly news programme, “Thames News” , and has written for magazines and newspapers throughout the world, including the London Times, Telegraph, Guardian and New Scientist. She has won many awards for her work, including, on three occasions, the Medical Journalists Association award for excellence and she holds an Honorary PhD in Brain science from Leuven University – one of Europe’s oldest academic institutions.

Reading with Ms Meenu: Tip of the Week

How Reading Habits are Changing

Reading is still an important part of everyday life, but the way people read is changing rapidly. Printed books are no longer the only option. Today, readers move between physical books, e-books, audiobooks, websites, social media, and other digital platforms. These changes are reshaping not only what people read, but also how long they read and why they choose certain types of content.

One of the biggest changes is the growth of digital reading. Smartphones, tablets, and e-readers make it possible to carry thousands of books and articles in one device. People can read while travelling, waiting for an appointment, or taking a break at work. Digital access has made reading more convenient, especially for people who may not have easy access to a bookstore or library.

At the same time, people are increasingly reading shorter pieces of content. Social media posts, news summaries, text messages, blogs, and online articles have become a major part of daily reading. Instead of spending an hour focused on one book, many readers now consume information in shorter bursts throughout the day. This can make it harder to develop the concentration needed for long-form reading.

Audiobooks have also become much more popular. They allow people to experience books while driving, exercising, cooking, or completing other tasks. For busy readers, audiobooks can make literature more accessible and easier to fit into everyday routines. They have also expanded the idea of what it means to “read” a book.

Social media is influencing reading habits as well. Online communities such as BookTok, BookTube, and book-focused Instagram accounts have introduced millions of people to new authors and titles. A recommendation from a popular creator can quickly turn an older or lesser-known book into a bestseller. Reading is becoming more social, with readers sharing reviews, reactions, recommendations, and reading challenges online.

People are also becoming more selective about what they read. With so many entertainment choices available, readers often choose books that closely match their personal interests. Young readers in particular may be drawn to fantasy, graphic novels, manga, romance, sports stories, or books connected to movies and television. Giving readers more choice can help make reading feel enjoyable rather than simply an academic responsibility.

Libraries are adapting to these changes too. Many now offer e-books, audiobooks, online databases, technology programs, community events, and digital lending services alongside traditional books. Instead of being places used only to borrow books, libraries are becoming broader learning and community spaces.

However, the shift toward digital and short-form content also presents challenges. Constant notifications and endless scrolling can make sustained concentration more difficult. Readers may become accustomed to quickly switching between pieces of information instead of spending long periods exploring one story or idea. Long-form reading therefore has to compete for attention in a way that it did not in the past.

Reading is not necessarily disappearing. Instead, it is becoming more digital, flexible, personalized, and social. The challenge is finding a balance between the convenience of modern reading and the deeper concentration that books can provide. As technology continues to develop, reading habits will continue to change, but the desire to learn, explore stories, and connect with new ideas is likely to remain.

Happy Reading!

For more information please visit: placealibrary.ca

Meenu Gera

Consulting Home and School Library Reading Guide

I Think, I Wonder, I Ask

–Dr. Shreelakshmi Subbaswami, Academic Director, Vijaya School, Hassan, Karnataka; https://vijayaschoolhsn.in/

Are Children Really Reading?

Have you ever seen a child read a passage fluently, only to realise, when you ask what it means or ask them to retell it, that they have no idea?

In the foundational years, children are learning to sound out words, blend them, read fluently and, most importantly, make meaning from what they read. Yet, one practice that continues to prevail in classrooms is repeated reading of the same text. The danger is that children can become so familiar with a passage that they can recite it without really looking at the words. Many may mistake this fluency for reading. But reading is not simply saying the words aloud. It is making sense of them.

For years, mass reading, repeated chanting and memorising texts have been used with the belief that more repetition automatically leads to better learning. But repetition without comprehension takes away the very skill children need to build- to think, infer, question and connect with a text.

This year, we are consciously trying to change this in our classrooms. Before moving a child to a new text, we check whether they can retell the story, answer simple questions and use new words in their own conversations. For children who need more support, instead of repeatedly practising the same passage, we used key vocabulary from the syllabus to create short passages and stories. We curated books, used AI thoughtfully and provided opportunities to read different texts.

The goal was simple: more reading, not more repetition; more meaning, not just more words.

We deliberately change the question we ask- “Can the child read this?” to “What did the child understand from what they read?”

Three questions for you…

• How can we create reading experiences where children are not just decoding words, but questioning, predicting, connecting, interpreting and responding to what they read?
• In what ways might our classroom practices be teaching children to perform reading rather than actually read?
• What opportunities are we giving children to read unfamiliar texts and apply what they know?

Showcase: Thrive STEAM project, Hyderabad; https://thrivesteam.com/

Pooja Khatter, Facilitator

Nature’s Recyclers:The children revisited their learning about soil, seeds, and plant growth by observing the soil-layer jars and germination cups they had prepared earlier. They shared what they remembered about the different soil layers and discussed what seeds needed to grow. They shared that seeds needed air, water, sunlight, and a suitable place to grow. Samyuktha also added that seeds needed soil to grow.

The children discussed the plant life cycle and recalled the stages in the correct sequence: seed, germination, sprout, seedling, adult plant, flowers, and fruits. They connected the stages of the life cycle to their understanding of how healthy soil supported plant growth.

The children then watched a video about earthworms and learned how these little helpers supported healthy soil. After watching the video, they also observed real earthworms. They carefully watched how the worms moved through the soil and shared their observations. They understood that earthworms created tunnels in the soil, which helped air and water reach the plant roots. They also learned that earthworms helped break down dead leaves and other plant materials, adding nutrients back into the soil.

To extend their learning, the children made a decomposition jar using soil, dry leaves, twigs, and small worms. They learned that natural materials slowly break down and return nutrients to the soil, helping plants grow. The children will observe their decomposition jars next week to see what changes have taken place in the dry leaves, twigs, and other materials. This hands-on activity helped them understand how earthworms and decomposers play an important role in keeping soil healthy and supporting plant growth.

Krisha 4 years, Maira and Tara 6 years 11 months, Yuvaan and Tashi 7 years 11 months, Neev and Mayra 8 years, and Samyuktha 8 years 3 months.

Teacher for Teachers

Riddhi Goswami, Facilitator

Exploring Animal Habitats
Our little learners had a wonderful time discovering where different animals live! The class began with a picture discussion featuring various animals and their habitats. Rudra (4 years) and Myra (6 years) enthusiastically shared what they knew about several animals and where they made their homes.
A special moment came when Myra (6 years) sketched a habitat, while Rudra (4 years), busy pasting pictures of sea animals, made a lovely connection — recalling his trip to Singapore and excitedly talking about seeing sharks and touching dolphins this discussion and activities built awareness and understanding of different animals and their natural habitats, expanded vocabulary related to animals, environments, and habitats, enhanced fine motor and creative skills through sketching and pasting activities Fostered the ability to relate classroom learning to real-life experiences.

Dear reader,

My work in education includes designing learning ecosystems where students thrive, teachers grow, and schools build lasting cultures of excellence through innovative curriculum, evidence-based practice, and meaningful educational leadership.

Professional development with Ms Niv : Click below to find the teacher and student workshops and trainings I currently offer:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ypWO8KpVh56vhYqAMH4XoytLRKMXvwpCAfv3l3fryJQ/edit?usp=sharing

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