RECREATIONAL READING ACTIVITIES OF THE
U.P. PREP FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
Celeste O. Botor
Read
Read some more
Read anything good
Read about everything good
Read enjoyable things
Read on the run most things
Don’t think about reading but
Just read.
John Dana
This set of modified rules in reading which is posted prominently on the wall of the classroom seems to be a favorite of the frist year students in the Prep school. When asked to summarize the rules in one sentence, an eleven year old girl answered, " Be a wide reader". Yes, even first year students realize that it is through reading that one broadens his knowledge. Self-expression, a keener esthetic perception, the enjoyment of the sunny side of life, the arm-chair travelogues, a deeper understanding of human nature and the subsequent tolerance of the idiosyncracies of far-away peoples fall within the range of those who take time to read. I shall, however, confine myself to one phase: recreational reading which at present is not synonymous to a task or duty. Encouraging students to read much does not imply that the teacher should read everything that the children read r teach them everything they are expected to learn. Kahlil Gibran sayas: "The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple among his followers, gives not of his wisdom, but rather of his faith and his lovingness . . . . If he is indeed wise, he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshhold of your own mind". I do believe, however, that all teachers especially English teachers, no matter how busy they are with paper work, snatch time to read "enjoyable things", "to read leisurely, not to secure factual information, except incidentally."
Ways of Encouraging Recreational Reading
Unit II, Knowing More About Books and the Library, is studied from the third tothe sixth weeks. As most students are comic-books addicts, they investigate the display of good and poor comic books to determine the type of characters portrayed, the central themes, the advantages of, and the objections to, the reading of comics. The discussions culminate with the formation of a committee to browse in the library and to submit a list of books which offers the same content as the good comics. The list is entitled "A Good Antidote for the Comics". The following day, samples of animal and adventure stories, fairy tales, biographies, fiction and history are brought to the classroom for free reading. This is followed by a short report on the interesting things they learned. For the writing activity, they may suggest such topics as: " The Bok I Found Most Interesting AS I Explored", and "Books Are Good Friends". To implement what they have learned in the language arts, they make posters, book-marks and colorful book covers in the art classes.
Although the Extension Library provides an ample supply of books of a wide range of level and subject matter for first year students, it is sadly wanting in Filipino-authored books. If the schools are to develop dynamic Filipinism, it is imperative that students read materials close to their hearts.
Every class puts up a "bookcaseless library". The students present to the teacher a set of books they enjoy reading and will enjoy lending their classmates.The class librarian keeps the records but not the books that circulate among the members of the class. Aside from this class library, the USIS offers the students opportunity to enrich their reading experience.
To advise and encourage students in the selection of books and thus widen the range of reading, the records in the counselling room provide the teacher helpful data concerning the students’ abilities, interests, aptitudes and needs. The individual information sheet reveals personal and family data, vocational plans, and recreational and social participation. The California Achievement Test determines and evaluates their reading and language skills. The Self-Administering Test of Leila Padilla gives a general estimate of the scholastic aptitueds of students. With these records and tests, the teacher is enabled to plan a discussion with the child on the number of books he can read a semester.
Another method of getting students to read books is to integrate language with the integrated arts. Stories containing breath-taking adventures and vivid scenes are interpreted with the guidance of the art teachers by
a) the sketching and the painting of individual episodes,
b) the making of comic-strips of sequential events ad dramatic scenes,
c) the making of valentine cards with original valentine verses,
d) the designing of back-drops for their group plays.
Students enjoy telling their classmates what books they have read as evidenced by their mock radio programs. They discuss the most exciting part of the stroy and the characters they appreciate. Very entertaining radio programs are presented by the class especially in Unit VII, What I Do with My Leisure Time, and Unit IX, Seeing the Funny Side of Life. In the former, the intrermissions are musical renditions and advertisements of home-reading books. In the latter, evidensces of humor gleamed from their recreational readings are reported during the "Amusement Hour".
Of all the experience units, Reading and Telling Stories which is taken up in February, is the most appealing. The variety of stories read give rein to the students’ vivid imaginationvby changing the endings of stories, writing about experiences similar to the stories they read and writing fanciful stories.
The magic and splendor of Indian stories inspired two boys to write novels entitled , The Mohawk River and The Adventures of Tom Dancing Bear. Dr Isidro is much pleased with the boys’ accomplishments but he comments that the students could have writtne stories in the native setting with the native characters. The biggest and happiest project of the year comes when they themselves write, produce, direct and act out group plays. It is tremendously compensating to note their resourcefulness, persistence and initiative at putting out the play with favorite characters taken from their home-reading books. They undertake all the steps of palnning and setting, writing thes cript, rehearsing, designing the backdrops, writing the invitations, planning the refreshments and phototaking and lastly presenting the play at the Little Theatre. Some of the plays presented were: Accidentally They Meet, Famous Characters in Storyland, and The Adventurous Dream. Adjudged the best play was the Adventures in Treasure Island with Jim Hawkins, Tom Sawyer and Robinson Crusoe as principal characters of the swift moving play.
Another device resorted to in calling the attention of the different students, is the bulletin board which displays materials and picturres dealing with episodes, characters and authors of the stories, and a monthly list of books recommended by the students thwmselves.
Checking Leisure Reading
First year students have a stronger preference for oral expression. Speech is easier for them. When asked to write a paragraph-long book reports, they invariably fail to hand them in. In fact, many stated, "Ma’am, I have read a lot of books, but I am lazy to write a book report". Since forced, long book reports will tend to discourage intensive reading, the following form adapted from the El Paso Public Schools is used:
Name of Book: _____________________ No. of Pages_______
Author: ________________________________
Classification:
Fiction _____Biography_____ Adventure________
Novel______Science________History__________
Give briefly two main facts which the book tells.
Did you like the book? Why?
Signature______________________
Class_________________________
Date _______________________
Book reports, however, are needed when the child wishes to contribute to the informational or developmental needs of the class. Some choose to write the reports after the discussion of the experience units. These students are guided by the bibliography of reading material on the subject of each unit.
Checking up on recreational reading is time consuming. The book reports are assorted so that students who read the same books will find a chance to compare their emotional reaction to the story. Finally, they fill up the class home-reading notebooks with the titles, authors and number of pages read, in the pages alloted to them. Their individual chart is a "Bookshelf Chart". Artistically made in their art class, it consists of drawings of books placed on a shelf. Everytime a book is read, one of the books in the chart gets the name of the book read. At the close of the school year, the class home-reading chart reveals the number of books and pages read by each child. A prize is awarded to the student who reads the greatest number of books.
The following chart summarizes the recreational reading achievement of the Sampaguita and Everlasting sections of the U.P. Preparatory High School last year.
Home Reading Chart
Highest No of Lowest No of
Class No of Books Average Books Read Books Read
Sampaguita 802 26 102 4
Everlasting 322 14 27 3
Two sections 1124 20 102 3
In the light of this report, students may be successfully encouraged to read more books but most of the books available are written by foreign authors. If the students’ love for country and pride in their culture is to be developed it is therefore a challenge to Filipino educators and writers to produce more books about the country and people suited to the recreational needs and interests of the high school students.