Primary School No. 2 has been involved in the All of Poland Reads to Children campaign since 2010, although various activities promoting reading have been organized at the school since 1995. The children love the meetings prepared for them with authors of fairy tales and humorous poems, as well as the special literary competitions and activities organized for them.
The school regularly organizes events for all children in grades 1–3: meetings with fairy-tale characters, World Teddy Bear Day, a May meeting with fairy tales, and education through reading for the youngest children. During the events, students dress up as fairy-tale characters, meet literary heroes and create artwork. At the meetings, they solve riddles related to fairy tales, recognize stories, dance and present their own work; above all, they listen to texts read by invited guests.
The school has hosted police officers from the District Police Headquarters, municipal guards, women from the Municipal Public Library, journalists from local television, employees of PKO BP, the Deputy Mayor of Bolesławiec, the head of the Social Affairs Department, directors of MBP and MDK, as well as soldiers.
Students take part in reading campaigns lasting one or two years. As part of the “In the World of the Moomins” Year-Round Reading Competition, run by school librarian Elżbieta Grzyb, book meetings are also held in the classrooms, where invited guests read fairy tales to the students.
For several years, our guest has also been Grażyna Hanaf, an author of children’s fairy tales and a journalist. She reads children’s stories by other authors and conducts interactive workshops based on her own fairy tales, which have a strong therapeutic impact. Last year, the children learned about her fairy tale “Garbuska,” and this year students in the second and third grades and the fifth grade learned about “Dziewczynka-skrzynka” and ways of coping with fear. Grażyna Hanaf also took part in the first Night of Libraries last June.
Students, their teachers, school employees and parents take part in all the reading campaigns. Usually, the group numbers between 130 and 260 people. The events are prepared by Monika Grzyb, Małgorzata Oleś, Elżbieta Grzyb and Teresa Góra. The campaign coordinator is Monika Grzyb.
The results of these campaigns include greater involvement of students and their parents in school life and increased reading. By using books, children develop their imagination and interests, learn more stories, expand their vocabulary, and develop academically and socially; they also simply learn to enjoy the company of a book. Improved understanding of texts and instructions is noticeable, as are better concentration, greater ease in oral and written expression, increased motivation to learn and willingness to cooperate, and the formation of bonds among students and between students and the teacher reading to them.
Prepared by: Monika Grzyb/ii
Therapeutic Fairy-Tale Workshops at Your School
I will be happy to visit your school and meet the children, and conduct workshops covering topics such as the strength of parental love, the values that guide us in life, dreams and how to fulfill them, a positive approach to the emotion of fear, and ways of expressing emotions. The workshops are especially well suited to children aged 7–12, but six-year-olds also have a great time. For them, I bring Mućka the cow puppet. The meeting lasts up to an hour and a half and consists of several activities. All that needs to be prepared for the meeting is paper and pastel crayons. The meeting is free of charge. Children can buy fairy tales from me. I know that after the meetings, children ask whether they can buy one and want to have a copy of their own. It matters to me that readers have my fairy tale on their shelf—especially readers who are conscious of it after meeting me and having a wonderful time at the workshop.
Please contact me
Grażyna Hanaf
gh@istotne.pl
tel. 792-177-320