My simple yet profound journey

Written by Loga Balasubramanian, LEC 2022

A few years ago, I would not have given much thought about joining a library course. But as every year at school with children and their parents passed by, the below questions became more pressing for me.

• How do I help children to read? 
• Can reading be made an enjoyable experience for children?
• What is a good book that one must buy for a child? 

I kept looking for diverse books for children. And then the universe showed me the way to do it right with LEC 2022.

When I saw that applications for the LEC 2022 course had opened, I was in Sweden studying adolescents and their tendencies. I learnt that for adolescents to know better about themselves, it is critical for them to find out how to express themselves. And books, stories and poems help open them up for conversations & discussions when they can relate to the characters in them. 

And as I read the prospectus multiple times, I realized the LEC course would help me understand literature better myself. One of the key offerings was to respond to children’s varying interests and also engage them with books. That got me very interested. When I found out I got the opportunity to participate in LEC 2022 after the interview & selection process, I was curious to see how the learning journey is going to unfold. 

When I booked my tickets to Goa, I knew I am going to spend a week with lots of reading & discussion with like-minded people. I was both excited and anxious – the feeling that you know it is going to be a good week, but in a strange new setting.

 On the first day, after we all settled down, each one of us was asked to select a bit of cloth from a small pile of cut pieces. We sat down with a needle and a choice of thread and one of the faculties read from a book, A Stitch out of Time by Anaïs Beaulieu. 

    ” My ancestors used embroidery as ornamentation, but they would also use it to repair and restore. The needle has this power. It can recycle, literally ‘create a new cycle.”

It hit a chord in me. Though as an educator, we tend to believe we know things with years of experience, I realized true learning comes when we are ready to create a new cycle.

Probably I am here to learn and unlearn, to find my own rhythm in the children’s world with books. And then every day in that week left me to ponder about

• How am I going to make this a lifelong journey? 
• How am I going to introduce children to books only by trusting them? 
• How am I going to put my fears and questions of academic literacy behind me and only pass on the joy of reading to the children? 
• How am I going to spend my time reading more books and becoming more aware of children’s literature? 

Every day turned out to be more interesting than the previous day. On one of the days, we were introduced to a treasure hunt through a pictorial drawing. Through this experience we found and read a book called The Cello of Mr.O by Jane Cutler, illustrated by Greg Couch. It was a book about how music brings hope. That was the first time I saw so many books about music and instruments for children. There was a game, there was a small amount of mystery, there was a small amount of learning to find out the book, there were many choices, and at last the joy of reading together to find out what appealed to you from the book. That’s what I experienced that day.

On another day, there was a book talk. I haven’t really heard any book talks in my life until then. One of the faculties talked about a book called Sad book by Michael Rosen. She introduced the book, shared about the author a bit and then read a few lines, pointing out vivid illustrations. Then she stopped there and asked us if we wanted to understand how the protagonist coped up. The few lines she read from the book already got me interested. I was keen to find that book and read it for myself.  What an interesting way to introduce a book to anyone who is starting their reading journey. It was like a hand leading me into a world of good literature.

On the fourth day of the contact period in Goa we were all invited to visit the Bookworm library. Every room was filled with books. With so many choices, so many styles, for so many age groups, I was in fact overwhelmed. But as we settled slowly and found books to read for the day, we were invited to play a few library games. Games always bring out a different shade of me, especially board games and indoor games. There was a game with snakes and a ladder, but not a usual one. Whenever we are bitten by a snake, we pick a chit and do what the chit says us to do. My friend and I got a book called “Be a friend” by Salina Yoon. We had to read the book and mime a scene from the book for everyone else who was playing to understand. Not only did I get to know a new book, but also had some fun with my friend.

Most of the evenings were spent as a group exploring movement, music, acting, and playing where we found a space to do things together. Movement, which was an integral part of all these games, was very much needed. It helped me start conversations with people next to me more, become more involved and plan together during group activities. When we learn and grow collectively, it is more joyful and that joy is infectious. The community starts thriving and growing for the better.

All these experiences and many more changed my idea of the library.  I never knew a library can be such an engaging space for children. A space to hold inspiring book talks, a space to express, a space to read aloud, and a space to explore self-expression. 

LEC gave me all these experiences just like how a child would have experienced in a good library.  As with anything that is done by our hand, body and soul, the experiences and the reason behind them stay with you to be taken forward (to children).  

And this is exactly what I am planning to take into the lives of children.