Libriamoci, the national reading campaign in schools of all types and levels which every year excites many associations and bodies that intend to create and spread the culture of books, has experienced this year, for its tenth anniversary, an unprecedented reading experience all year long. The reading initiative, usually limited to the November week, this time merged with the “May of Books” with initiatives of meetings-debates and literary comparisons and competition opportunities.
Well yes, the Gatti Institute presents the experience of the “May of Books” in a final debate meeting with the author Sina Mazzei chosen as a reading path for the whole year through her works, in particular: “Words like Pisces” the baby author’s novel with a framework on gender stereotypes and the weight that spoken and unspoken words can have on good or bad intentions to take care of this “shattered world” and which proposes school as vehicle of freedom and truth, teaching one to feel like a vehicle of culture; Timere, symbol of a shy and insecure approach to daily life who nevertheless becomes capable of relying on the care of her life teachers and learns to manage her emotions, recognizes herself, bringing out innate potential and achieves self-esteem; “Pesticcio, a nose beyond the hedge”, where there is an obstacle between the true self and what others expect, the secret of going beyond will be to understand that it is necessary to discover oneself, accept oneself, love oneself in order to exist beyond all judgment superficial, a novel that helps us understand the importance of savoring the relationship between listening and being listened to for “Being and knowing how to be”; the story of Paris the character of “Once upon a time there was a monster in the wardrobe” which refers to personal experiences, difficulties and successes of every day is a stimulus to think and reflect on the way that leads us to interact with the environment , things and people.
The author Sina Mazzei and her speech-debate in classes as a reader of her own works she intended to be part of a broader and humbler plan, that of building an inclusive and not merely scholastic language, but rather imaginative and universal, which unites iconic art, intuition and words like her works.
Libriamoci, a cultural experience that united all the classes of two groups of the Gatti Institute, namely Manzi and Davoli, in an experimental initiative, with the desire to pass on the culture and passion of reading, to experience comparison and generational exchange and ethnic. The experiences of learning by doing and cooperating by learning have united the philosophical and literary disciplines in a journey full of emotions, original and enchanting creations born from the originality and genuineness of the students who have entrusted themselves to the “Care” of their teachers.
Let’s free ourselves…an opportunity seized and listened to by the Headmaster of IC Gatti Lamezia, chosen by the teachers to create through it a project of inclusion and discussion in an institute which records a large presence of students with socio-economic and cultural disadvantages, so the free nature of the project and the national reading initiative met the need well. “I read to…stay” included four reading meetings with philosophical implications followed by expressive educational and creative writing workshops. The process started in January on a monthly basis and involved all the classes of the two schools: the second class of the Manzi school and the multi-class class of the Davoli school read “Timere”, the third class Manzi read “Pesticcio”, the fourth class read experienced correct communication through the events of Paris in “Once upon a time there was a monster in the wardrobe”, the students of the first class active listeners enthusiastically participated in the workshop initiatives held in the premises of the Manzi complex where the final meeting-debate on May 30, 2024 with the plenary meeting of all classes on two plexuses. On this final occasion, the emotion of collaborators, teachers and students who wonderfully found themselves there, in front of their reflections, their works on display, their ideas “curated” down to the smallest detail to be shared as in a great banquet of knowledge, was tangible. .
Conviviality that for once at least is not dressed up in food or social media, but in the meeting of knowledge on multiple dimensions and without any exclusion. The riot of colors and voices presented with liveliness by the little students to the author Sina Mazzei is astonishing who “United and went further” by giving reading aloud in a patient and generous voice, animated the leading characters of his novels, competently creating didactic spaces to debate through the techniques of brainstorming, circle time, learning by doing . Each meeting united the minds of students and teachers through a single objective, “Getting excited about learning”, welcomed by the guiding spirit of an author who goes beyond her knowledge as a mother, grandmother and former teacher. “Being and knowing how to be” through the reflections born from the literary stimulus, the students savored their choices, their predispositions for dialogue, their creative potential united in a common thread “The Care”. The author also facilitated her travels and time availability also by the condition of being a fellow villager, and was able to deal with the scholastic and educational reality, fully responding to the needs of the classes involved. The author’s intervention was adapted in a conscious and respectful manner, enriching the educational programming established by the UDA with a strong impact on the Institute’s PTOF, in particular linguistic and cultural mediation. To conclude, the strong educational value of the entire initiative flows into a project with a flavor of freedom that has allowed us to “Read by choosing and choose by reading…”
