Read for fun
The best way to encourage the young to read is tell them a good story
The best way to encourage the young to read is tell them a good story
What would you pick between these two: iPad or book? You’re basically choosing between hours of game play and online browsing a reading material with hundreds of unillustrated pages. I bet you will choose the tablet, right? Well, you’re not alone because majority of teens today will choose gadgets over books. Congratulations, you’re a normal teen!
But if you think that’s a good thing, think again. Parents and teachers find it difficult to encourage kids like you to read these days. In this day and age of Treasure Run and 24/7 cartoons on cable, the lowly book has fiercer competition and it looks like it’s not winning the battle. It’s not your fault—it’s probably how you were raised.
One of the techniques experts use to encourage kids to read is storytelling. They say that once you expose children to books in the early years, they will most likely become voracious readers when they grow up.
“We believe that storytelling can help children get interested in books. Every time we tell a story, the kids see you are holding the book and you’re lifting words from that book. It makes the child want to see what’s in it?” explains storyteller and City of Dreams Manila senior manager for training and development
“And if you look like you’re so engrossed with picking up these words from the book, the child also picks up the emotion. That is why storytelling must be fun and interesting.”
Before Manolo became part of the City of Dreams Manila, he was a master storyteller and president of the Alitaptap Storytellers Philippines, an initiative of Museo Pambata. When they looked for a possible community work for the company, they
and thought of doing storytelling sessions with public school students.
Last week, they held a two-day art workshop with storytelling sessions at the Parañaque Elementary School Central Library in Parañaque City. The project reached 400 students not only from Parañaque ES but also from San Dionisio Elementary School. Several staff members of the soon-to- open integrated resort supported the project by volunteering for the cause.
Manolo and two other volunteer storytellers read three Filipino children’s books:
Jose Miguel Tejido’s
Ang Pambihirang Sombrero,
Si Pilong Patago- tago,
tine Canon’s
gelita Aragon’s
Magkaibigan.
Kris-
and
An-
Ang
“We hope that after hearing the stories and watching the storytellers, the children will run to the library and read books and want to read again and again. If that gets developed in them, I think they will look forward to bigger, higher level books. We want them to develop a love for reading,” Manolo says.
Education is one of the main thrusts of City of Dreams Manila. Among the resort’s features is the DreamPlay at Dreamworks, a collaboration between the new entertainment city and DreamWorks. The play space is the world’s first education-based entertainment center that will feature the latest digital technology and interactive experiences designed exclusively for the resort.
“Dreamplay at Dreamworks, the whole idea of the activity is to also build the socialization process for the children. This play space is more interactive education and this is what we want to introduce in the City of Dreams Manila when we fully open early next year,” says City of Dreams Manila vice president for Public Relations
Charisse Chuidian.
The resort has likewise integrated DreamWorks stories and characters into its advocacy. Last November, DreamWorks Animation popular characters Alex of and Po of entertained kids from BahayAruga orphanage.
Madagascar Kung Fu Panda, They also held storytelling sessions with the kids.
“The secret here is to start them young. Make them love reading before they start to love computers. Make them love reading before they start loving watching TV,” Manolo ends.