Class 8 · English · New NCERT
Chapter 8: The Magic Brush of Dreams
"The Magic Brush of Dreams" is a poem, and at about fifteen pages with its activities it is one of the longer poems. The preface says it revolves around creativity, kindness and the power of art, and teaches that talent should be used for good, with generosity and the impact of imagination in shaping the world. Students read the poem, follow its story, notice imagery and discuss how they would use a magic brush. Drawing a scene from the poem and writing a few lines about their own gift or talent fit well, and it links with the Arts book.
This is chapter 8 of 15 in Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook, in Unit 3, Mystery and Magic, and begins on page 122 of the printed 2026-27 book. It follows "The Case of the Fifth Word" and is followed by "Spectacular Wonders".
Teachers can use "The Magic Brush of Dreams" to build confidence as well as vocabulary. Short, repeated tasks, pair talk, role-play and choral reading help children who are shy about speaking English. The book's sections (the Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn, Let us listen, Let us speak, Let us write and Let us explore activities) offer ready-made activities, and the notes to the teacher encourage the use of the home language, local stories and objects to explain new ideas. The aim is progress from guided to independent use of English rather than perfect accuracy at any single step.
At home, listen to your child speak English about "The Magic Brush of Dreams" without correcting every mistake. Ask them to sing or say the lines, point to pictures and name things, or tell you in two or three sentences what the lesson was about. Reading a favourite part aloud a few times builds fluency and confidence.
This overview is written from the 2026-27 textbook's Contents page, its preface and the chapter title, to help families and teachers prepare. Please read the chapter itself for exact content, activities and exercises.