Open a Book at the Knowledge for Development Centers
The World Bank Manga comics was extensively used in the Booklatan sa KDCs as an example of a reading material that attempts to deliver a message about development, using a medium that is familiar and popular among young people.
Booklatan sa KDC, part of the larger Booklatan sa Bayan program, wants to promote good reading habits and an appreciation for books among young people.
Development issues are discussed through story-telling techniques using the WB manga comics as the jump off point.
Following the success of the first Booklatan sa KDC, more sessions are slated to follow within 2009.
PALAWAN, PHILIPPINES, March 30, 2009—“Let them fall in love with the story first, then the love for reading will eventually follow”, advised Mr.Tony Yanza, one of the resource speakers of the Booklatansa KDC (or Open a Book at the KDC) last March 17-19 in the Palawan State University in Puerto Prinsesa City. And as the workshop participants later found out, getting young people to develop a love for reading is easier said than done. This kind of appreciation for the written word requires as much effort from the teacher as well as the students.
Booklatan sa KDCs is part of the Booklatan sa Bayan program, a series of training activities focusing on heightening readership awareness and the promotion of good reading habits. The Knowledge for Development Center (KDC), in partnership with the National Book Development Board (NBDB), World Bank in the Philippines, and the Office of the Publishers (EXTOP) in Washington DC, is bringing the program to the universities that are part of the KDC network nationwide. The program also intends to promote the World Bank publications to help steer the dialogue on development issues among the youth.
Starting them Young
During the first part of the session, teachers, librarians and daycare volunteers were given a workshop on basic storytelling. “As with any good performance, the effect you'll have on your audience will greatly depend on your choice of reading material and how you can effectively deliver your story”, advised Mr. Yanza. Aside from choosing the appropriate reading material, he also explained the importance of voice and facial expressions in effective storytelling. To demonstrate this point, Mr. Yanza led the group in a storytelling exercise using well-known children’s songs, rhymes and bedtime stories.
“I've forgotten how much fun this is!”, exclaimed one of the participants.
After the activity, he also advised the participants to be careful in getting carried away with storytelling techniques. “Although storytelling is more of a performance than mere story reading, the performance of the storyteller should not outshine the significance of the book/story,”Mr. Yanza said.
Aside from tips on how to do the actual storytelling and how to choose the correct content for a particular audience, Mr. Yanza noted that reading materials with graphic images also help young people have a better grasp on the story they are reading. One of the materials that participants were asked to read aloud was the World Bank manga comics, a series of stories about a young boy who dreams of becoming a great martial artist. During his journey, Rei, the main character, is faced with challenging experiences that concern global issues such as poverty, global warming and HIV-AIDS. Letting kids read the comics version of seemingly serious topics help them understand the material better and keep them interested. “The fact that it’s written in installments makes the kids anticipate what will happen next and have time to ponder on the latest story that they read,” shared another participant.
The second part of the workshop was the Readership Enhancement and Advancement (READ) Program. This session carried a more technical approach than the storytelling workshop. Participants in this session were given an institutional framework for reading which included ideal elements for pre-during-after reading activities. Aside from the framework, educators were also taught a series of techniques to test whether the student really understood the story they just read.
Iloilo Reading Club
Another KDC that also took part in the Booklatan program was the Central Philippine University in Iloilo. They had gone through the same workshops in January 21-23 and also found the sessions quite enjoyable and useful. The storytelling workshop was handled by Mr. Manolo Silayan, President, Alitaptap Storytellers Philippines, Inc. while the speaker for the READ Program for Trainors was Dr. Elena Cutiongco, former president of the Reading Association of the Philippines.
After the Booklatan sa KDC-Iloilo, the participants saw the need to organize themselves and have temporarily named their group the “Iloilo Reading Club”. They decided to document activities in reading that they have already been doing in their schools (for example, storytelling contests, awarding of the “Most Widely Read Pupil”, storytelling/reading tour, quiz bowl on authors, etc.) and to discuss them in their follow-up meetings.
Palawan State University and Central Philippine University are the first two Booklatan sa KDCs for this year. Other universities that will also hold their own Booklatan sa Bayan program include KDCs in Saint Paul University Philippines in Tuguegarao, University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao, Ateneo de Naga, Silliman University in Dumaguete, and Notre Dame University in Cotabato.
More than just reading
According to the R.A. 8047, otherwise known as the Philippines Book Publishing Industry Development Act, “Books are the most effective and economical tool for achieving educational growth, for imparting information, and for recording, preserving and disseminating the nation’s cultural heritage.” Reading is considered one of the most effective tools to inform young people about important issues facing the world today and keep them engaged using a medium that is common to them.
Booklatan sa KDCs is also part of ongoing efforts to promote an interest in development topics among young people through the popularization of World Bank publications. The World Bank Manga comics was used in the sessions as an example of reading material that attempts to deliver a message about development, using a medium that is familiar and popular among young people.
The World Bank Office of the Publisher (EXTOP) in Washington supports this initiative by providing posters, advance copies and subsidized rates of the World Bank Manga comics. “The engagement with EXTOP is based on the common objective of stirring interest in development, and using printed and online materials as one vehicle for achieving that objective,” explained Moira Enerva, World Bank'sPublic Information Associate.
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