3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV

Issue #12 / September 29,  2020

Have you ever tried reading simultaneously two books on the same idea or two contemporary writers or two philosophers or two leaders involved in the same events? Like reading Jesus and Buddha simultaneously? Comparative reading works for academics and research. It works great in daily life too says Lisa Bu in this entertaining talk in the video of this week. Try it out for yourself, your child, your students. Do check out tips on reading books for your kid and how you can teach yourself narrative writing. After all your own stories are the most interesting ones for yourself and those around you. Meet Sumi, author of children’s’ books, and what she has to say about noodlehead stories – an all-time favorite genre for the young and not so young. Don’t miss the story written by a 4th grader in the student voice and a poem in the And Finally section. Enjoy reading.

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Three Images For The Week

For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education.

Two Thoughts For The Week

“Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.”
― Albert Camus

“I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which ‘Escape’ is now so often used. Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison-walls?”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

One Video For The Week

What happens when a dream you’ve held since childhood … doesn’t come true? As Lisa Bu adjusted to a new life in the United States, she turned to books to expand her mind and create a new path for herself. She shares her unique approach to reading in this lovely, personal talk about the magic of books.

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Guest Column

Sumi Chandrashekharan, educator and author of childrens’ books.

Albert Einstein said, “If you want children to be intelligent tell them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent tell them even more fairy tales.” Fiction describes imaginary places, relationships and even entire worlds. When we read we feel the emotions of the characters and imagine the worlds that they inhabit. So, there is no doubt that reading develops empathy and strengthens imagination and nurtures intelligence.

Where would society be without empaths who care and visionaries who see? Every manmade wonder started in somebody’s imagination or by someone visualising a solution to a problem where others could not. Fortunately we have a variety of fiction available to stimulate our children’s brains – one such is the “Noodlehead” genre.

Humour comes from a place of playfulness and as children are playful by nature they are drawn to humorous stories. Humour also teaches, as books that employ humour represent a reality that is a mix of laughter and tears, light-heartedness and despair, highs and lows. Understanding humour pushes children to read between the lines and look at things differently.

Noodlehead stories which are humorous stories with a fable-like quality abound in world folklore for these reasons. A noodlehead is a well-intentioned but foolish person to whom we can relate with. We have all stepped out wearing something ‘wrong,’ or discovered a misplaced item in an odd place (I have found my glasses in the freezer!). The consequences of such lapses remind us not to take ourselves too seriously, letting us (and others) laugh at ourselves. Noodlehead tales tend to be far-fetched – magnifying the particular flaw in the noodlehead’s thinking to push the readers’ imagination beyond the ridiculous. In many stories, the noodlehead follows instructions too literally and misses what is glaringly obvious because of it.  

In keeping with the saying ‘Fortune favours fools’, noodlehead stories usually end well. The extremes of plot make the contrasting positive ending a huge relief as the character is a well-meaning soul and someone we all relate to – usually, ourselves.

The embedded message could also well be that life isn’t always fair and in the case of the noodlehead we don’t mind because even the most foolish can achieve good if they follow the wisdom of others and take a wholehearted shot at life, despite their flaws.  

Noodlehead stories work despite featuring adult protagonists. The naivete and childlike qualities of the characters make children easily relate to them and their blunders funnier. The young reader is also able to travel a wider landscape piggybacking the foolish adult.

The story told in Kozhukatta is one adapted from the version my grandmother narrated and one of the many tales about princes and princesses that I remembered.  Other Noodlehead examples: Amelia Badelia, some Jataka, Birbal, Tenali Raman tales.

P. S. Reading demands more engagement than watching films. When the brain pays more attention it retains more and it would be a mistake to think that books can be replaced by film if we want to raise empathetic, imaginative and intelligent humans.

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Parent Speak

Mommy of 3. Sahada Rahiman www.instagram.com/mumsytales

A question my eldest daughter keeps asking me:

When will we go back to school mama!? She is a child who always looked forward to going to school every day. I would always wonder at the eagerness on her face to go to school, to meet her friends and to learn something new each day. She was always enthusiastic about going to school.

And now, that excitement has gone. The pandemic took the entire world by surprise. In the beginning, it all seemed good that the kids were safe and secure within their homes and weren’t exposed to the dangers outside. Online education commenced and we felt all was going well. There also came a time, where online learning was discouraged and children aimlessly sat at home having no productive work or learning.

I run my own page on Instagram where I share my parenting journey with my children. We share creative play, good reads, crafting, activities, food recipes for mommies.  I try my best to keep my kids indulged and engaged in all sorts of learning activities at home but now I feel what they are missing is the social touch.

I feel going to school is such a necessity for children in their growing years. They aren’t meant to be cooped up within their home walls but they need to be exploring the outdoors with children their own age enjoying their youth and learning along the way. Social interaction with children of their own age is a must. Group learning is excellent for children to practise leadership skills, build healthy relationships in the classroom, interact with each other and to observe how their peers solve problems.

However, parents too are citing a lot of difficulties with online education:

• Establishing a daily routine for kids isn’t a norm anymore.
• Balancing out household chores and responsibilities and teaching kids has become a challenge most parents are facing nowadays.
• Regulating a wakeup and bedtime schedule has gone for a toss.
• Keeping children interested and focused on their schoolwork has become quite a task.

I really wish the situation would normalise soon, where we won’t take education for granted anymore and cherish and value the facilities provided to us. Stay safe. 

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Student Voice

Nabeeha Rao, Student of grade 4

MR.TIDY TRILLIONS – THE MAN WITH A GOLDEN BROOM STICK

Once upon a time there lived a very rich man called Mr Tidy Trillions. The people called him Mr Tidy Trillions because he always carried a broom stick in his hands and it was made out of gold! Now you might be thinking the same as I do, that why would he carry a broom stick and that too made out of gold? I’ll tell you why – he was always so clean and rich he could make a pool to dive in diamonds. There was not a spot dirty on his things; he would always wear the finest clothes made out of silk and leather. First he would always clean the road on which he had to go through with the golden broom stick and then walk on it. One day when Mr Tidy Trillion got up, he saw that his golden broomstick was gone! As he saw that he was shocked and quickly called the police. The police came running and asked him that what the emergency was, he said that his golden broom stick was gone! The police then ran out of the room and searched everywhere in the house but they could not find anything. Then it was said that whoever found the missing golden broom stick would get 30 billion dollars and it was stamped onto every magazine, newspaper and just everywhere, even on the TV. So, everyone in town began to search but alas, they couldn’t find a clue. The next day news came to Mr Tidy Trillions that his clever friend Mr Clever, the master of smartness (or Mr Clever in short) was coming to visit him.

When he heard the news he was delighted because Mr Clever, the master of cleverness could help him find the golden broom stick and the criminal. When Mr Clever – the master of cleverness came the first thing they talked about was the golden broom stick. The next day Mr Clever summoned some of the closest people. They all asked Mr Clever about what does he want to do with them. Mr Clever said all of you have to take these magic books to your houses and at night keep them under your pillow and if you have taken Mr Tidy Trillion’s golden broom stick, the book will write it down by itself. And remember not to open the books. The next day all of them brought the books back. Mr Clever, the master of smartness, opened everyone’s books, and then he said to Mr Tidy Trillion that one of his friends, Billy Billions had taken the golden broom stick. But Mr Tidy Trillions could not believe and asked about what evidence does he claim? Mr Clever said that I wrote – he/she has the golden broom stick in their books and no one except from Billy Billions has erased what was written inside the book. Then Mr Tidy Trillions asked Billy Billions if that’s a truth – Billy Billions said yes and hence immediately Billy Billions was sent to the dungeons, and the guards were asked to search Billy Billion’s house and bring back the golden broomstick. Finally, Mr Tidy Trillions said good bye and thanks to Mr Clever for helping him find his beloved broom stick.

And they, i.e. he along with his beloved golden broomstick, lived happily ever after!

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Showcase

To make reading fun for your child, register for online literacy sessions with Meenu Gera.

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And Finally

Enjoy this poem with Pooja Khare, Special Educator. The setting, the emotion, the poetry – all a treat. Enjoy.

3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv  is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of:  3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.

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