“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book”.
J.K. Rowling
It is said that for children, reading is rocket science. No doubt, reading is one of the most important things that children can do. It not only fuels their imagination but also helps to expand their vocabulary, fluency, expressive skills and confidence.
The Montessori Reading Competition 2018 provided children a new goal as they strived to achieve the title “Reader of the Year”.
The competition began with a preliminary round in the Juniors and Seniors. The objective was to be able to read books from the ORT series which were part of their yearly prescribed reading. All the children participated in the first round by reading a book of their own choice. It was tough on the judges right from the beginning! The children were so motivated to wear the winner’s crown that by the end of the first round, the semi- finalists came through by barely a hair’s breadth.
Two more books were added along with flashcards in the second round. The semi-finalists now spent most of their free time in reading. It was a pleasure to see them quickly finish their work and rush to the reading corner. Never was reading so much fun as it had just become!
Competition was tough. Each of the semi-finalists wished to be selected in finals. Unfortunately, the competition criteria dictated otherwise. Three lucky children were selected from each class after a grueling semi-final round.
Now everyone was waiting for the finals. Each class had become a team in encouraging and motivating the finalists from their class to perform the best. Invitation cards had been sent to the staff members, judges and parents of the finalists.
At last 10th April, 2018 dawned fine and sunny. The lovely morning commenced with tilawat-e-Dua by the Seniors and then the six Junior finalists settled on the stage ready for the ultimate reading challenge with the Book Round and the Word Round.
Then it was the Seniors turn. The thrilling buzzer round had everyone on the edge of their seats. Children demonstrated their cognitive skills as they answered higher order questions with ease.
Soon the judges were ready and came onstage to announce the names of the winners.
Brightly coloured confetti rained on the stage as Ms. AshrafHaqqani crowned Insiyah Shabbir ofJunior B as the “Junior Reader of the year” and Ms. Rashida Adnan crowned Burhanuddin Hussain of Senior A as the “Senior Reader of the Year”.
All participants received certificates and gifts.
For the first time, the program was live-streamed on Ilmversity.
