In this month of July, a special companion was present during the vacation of the Elementary School students at be.Living: the book to be read during the school break!

More than an activity to be fulfilled by the children, the proposal to read during vacation is an invitation to strengthen the exercise of reading as a source of pleasure, relaxation, and imagination.

Gabriela Fernandes, pedagogical coordinator of Elementary School, explains that vacations are a time to pause the intense routine of the children — not just the school routine, but also the Extracurricular Activities — but that this does not necessarily mean pausing reading. “It is precisely in this breath that the book gains strength as an ally to occupy free time in a significant way. The idea is that the children understand that reading is a great source of pleasure, which opens up enormous possibilities for them.”

The reading proposal for each group was carefully planned by the pedagogical team. The selection of books considers the reading competence of each class, the possibility of autonomous reading and the connection with themes already worked on since the beginning of the year or that will be addressed in the next two months. “The choice of the book for this moment is very important: it must be playful and fun, and engage with what is being studied in the school curriculum,” emphasizes Gabriela.

The activity was developed only with the Y3, Y4 and Y5 classes, which already have the most consolidated reading, as it is necessary for it to be an autonomous practice, without families having to be so involved in the process.

To expand the work that Year 3 is doing on native peoples, the educational team chose the title “The fabulous fables of Lauaretê”, by Kaká Werá Jecupé.

For Year 4, the book chosen was “Curious Squad — Fake News Hunters”, by Marcelo Duarte, with the objective of deepening the theme “news”, which has been explored since the beginning of the year by the class.

In the case of Year 5, the children themselves chose their books based on work with literary reviews. Among the selected titles are “The secret of the lost record”, by Caio Tozzi; “The mystery of the green spiders”, by Carlos Heitor Cony; and “The mystery of the golden figurine”, by Marcelo Duarte, among others.

To spark the interest of readers, a pre-reading was conducted with the children, exploring the cover, starting a conversation about the story, and encouraging the book to be kept on the bedside table or in the travel bag as a permanent invitation to read – whether at the beach, in the countryside, on the plane, or at home. “The objective of this pre-reading was for them to go on vacation feeling a desire for this object of reading, pleasure and entertainment”, says the coordinator.

In addition to expanding vocabulary and repertoire, reading on vacation is also a means of helping to balance screen time. “We know that many children end up spending a lot of time in front of screens during this period, which is so challenging. The book is a way to take the child a little away from the screen, offering another free time experience, which transforms this moment into something enriching, broadening horizons and promoting knowledge.”

For the children in the 4th and 5th grades, the experience deepened with the “Reading Journal,” a notebook where they recorded their impressions about the reading. But the coordinator reinforces that even this written return maintains a lighter tone: the intention is for reading to be consolidated as a habit, not as an obligation. “When the children return from vacation, we review how it was, what they liked. It is a reading with a focus on pleasure” – says Gabi.

Na be.Living, cultivating readers is sowing the understanding that the book can accompany us throughout our lives. “Reading should not be a dull, difficult moment. She has to be linked to moments of pleasure. Thus, the child understands that taking a book with her is knowing that, wherever she goes, she will never be alone.”