For children, listening to fairy tales in an interactive session is more engaging

Students from 53 schools attend storytelling session at Acton House.

KARACHI: Around 100 children aged between six and nine years were treated to a rather different type of a story-telling session on Thursday. For once, they were not reprimanded for interrupting the storyteller by asking him if he would be showing them magic next.

The exercise was organised in the living quarters of British Deputy High Commissioner Francis Campell, at Acton House. The British Council and Paramount Publishing had organised the event to encourage school-aged children to develop a habit of reading English language material. Students from over 50 schools in the city, some of which were located in Korangi, Malir and Gulshan, attended the event, along with their teachers.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Campbell said that they hoped to promote the habit of reading English stories among students. “We hope to continue this activity, as it is really nice to have children come here,” beamed Campbell.

For seven-year-old Rayan Faisal, a student of the Progressive Public School, this was the best story-telling he had ever attended. The interactive nature of the session, with storytellers using slides, projector screens as well as paintings, left him ecstatic.



Mohammad Ali Khan, a freelance literary consultant, narrated the “Elves and the Shoemaker” classic using computer slides. He also acted out bits and pieces from the story. When he came to describe the way raw leather was turned into shoes, a question came from the front row: “Are you a shoemaker? Or a teacher-shoemaker?” That threw the audience, elders and youngsters alike, into fits of laughter.

Some children also recited stories that they had themselves written.

Khan later said that he also thoroughly enjoyed the exercise, and that he loved dealing with young minds. “As far as their inquisitive nature is concerned, I was surprised and pleased at the same time.”

Paramount Books deputy managing director, Salauddin Iqbal, was also pleased to see “the level of confidence and energy in the youngsters”. He added that the organisers of the event had hoped to polish the skills of the students as they gave them a break from their regular school activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2013.