Best Practice in School : Newspaper Reading

Activities :
We have been using times NIE not only as a teaching tool for learner’s but also as a relationship builder with their parents. In addition to that I taught students how to make Newspaper reading a learning tool during vacations !

After the schools closed for vacation, many students are travelling to their native places or going out with family to enjoy. It was a very long and eventful two years of the pandemic having lot of negative impact on students’ learning. Children learn best in schools with their peers and in the atmosphere of school where they get chance for various co curricular activities too. The one positive thing that came out of Covid 19 has been receiving the soft copy of the students edition of Times of India, Time NIE every morning.

Times NIE has beaten the path by being so punctual in bringing out the E edition throughout the Pandemic for students free of cost.

As a school student, I was introduced to newspaper reading at a very young age by my parents and so I always feel that reading any newspaper in various languages helps students in multiple ways, bringing multiple benefits that cannot be fathomed.
Students can use this habit of newspaper reading as a tool to enhance their skills and knowledge at the same time. It’s like aiming at many targets with one shot.

What’s are the few 21 st Century skills that students can develop themselves not only in school but also at home and specially during vacation, just by the newspaper reading activity effectively and consistently, without feeling the pressure of learning, in a very interesting way?

Let us look at some of them and believe me I myself was amazed when I collated the list. It completed A to Z and some more can be added by the readers. So here they are:

1. English reading skills
2. Comprehension skills
3. Translation skills
4. Analysis skill
5. Critical thinking skills
6. General knowledge enhancement
7. Writing skills
8. Creative writing
9. Creating suitable titles
10. Picture comprehension skills
11. Art and poster making skills
12. Critical appreciation skills
13. Relationships skills
14. Respect for diversity skills
15. Values enhancement
16. Vocabulary development
17. Story writing skills
18. Story telling skills
19. Self-awareness skills
20. Community awareness
21. Citizenship value
22. Knowledge of law
23. Collaboration skills
24. Media Literacy
25. Technology literacy
26. Social skills