As part of this year’s Imanian Read Runner Challenge, Iman Academy proudly introduced My Book, My Story, a Young Authour initiative designed for students aged 6 and 7 years. This special programme was not only about writing stories, it was a beautiful example of teamwork between students, teachers, and parents, all working together to nurture confident, creative young authours.
Through the Read Runner programme, learners were gradually introduced to key elements of storytelling such as book titles, authours, illustrators, characters, and settings. Building on this foundation, My Book, My Story guided children to understand how ideas can be organised into a clear beginning, middle, and end, and how a simple plot can unfold in an age-appropriate way.
Teachers played a central role in carefully scaffolding the learning process. Students were guided step by step through idea generation, planning, and writing, using structured prompts and discussion to help them organise their thoughts. The focus throughout was on encouraging creativity, confidence, and effort rather than perfection. When children worked on their first drafts, teachers provided gentle, age-appropriate feedback, celebrating each attempt and supporting students in refining their work with clarity and confidence.
Parents were valued partners in this journey. At home, families supported their children by discussing story ideas, listening to early drafts, and encouraging creativity, reinforcing the importance of literacy beyond the classroom. This collaboration strengthened the child’s learning experience and helped students see reading and writing as meaningful activities shared with the people they love.
Once drafts were reviewed and refined, students brought their stories to life through illustrations and cover designs, proudly writing their names as both authour and illustrator. This stage was especially empowering, as children saw their ideas transformed into real storybooks, a moment of pride for students, teachers, and parents alike.
An important highlight of the challenge was the opportunity for students to share and read one another’s books. Through this exchange, learners developed confidence in expressing their ideas, appreciation for others’ creativity, and a sense of belonging within their classroom community. These shared moments reinforced the idea that learning is richer when it is collaborative.
Alhamdulillah, the growth observed throughout My Book, My Story was remarkable. Students demonstrated improved storytelling skills, greater confidence in writing, and a deeper understanding of how stories work. Most importantly, they experienced the joy of learning through connection between student and teacher, parent and child, and peers learning together.
My Book, My Story stands as a testament to what can be achieved when education is approached as a shared effort. With guidance, encouragement, and partnership, our young learners discovered that they are capable storytellers with voices worth sharing; a lesson that will, inshaAllah, stay with them far beyond the pages of their first books.
