The Reading Habit: Learn to Love Reading At An Early Age

I.   OVERVIEW and PROJECT RATIONALE: The Importance of Reading

A few decades ago, when television and other forms of media and entertainment (internet, mobile phones, computer games, social networking, etc.) were not yet widespread and non-existent, reading was a primary form of bonding between parents and their children. Reading fairy tales to their children was a golden tradition among parents. Families and community folks would take time telling stories about the beauty of their places, history, legends, folklores, and culture. Personal interaction in the family and the larger community was still very observable and considered as a basic ingredient of social interaction and learning.

Now, with the more exciting forms of media invading almost every aspect of our lives, the love of reading is becoming extinct especially among children. Interactions have become more impersonal. The old tradition where parents read classical fairy tales to their children is being replaced by children watching televisions and parents spending long hours in front of computers. Learning through reading is fast becoming a lost tradition.

Thus, it is always a nagging reminder to us that we have to re-discover the basic forms of learning, and reading is still considered as one of the most effective ways to learn. By reading, we develop in a lot of ways, specifically because:

1. Reading, especially at an early age, develops imagination and creativity. Our minds are either opened by travelling to many places and events or introduced to various types of people (character in stories) and interests;

1. Reading develops  an emotional bond between parents and children (adults and children);

1. Children who start reading from an early age are observed to have good language and conversational skills and demonstrate better emotional stability and maturity;

1. Reading also develops higher IQ and helps children do better in schools.

1. Reading develops a higher degree of concentration and focus, which helps a person to be able to ‘process more information’ which is now necessary in this Age of Information.

II.              OBJECTIVES

 

The centerpiece of the Cabuyao Children’s Center (the Limcaoco ancestral home in Cabuyao opened as a learning facility for children), is its Reading Room; where there is a valuable collection of classical and contemporary books for children that are now becoming rare and inaccessible especially to underprivileged children.

The Limcaoco Foundation envisions that this Reading Room and the Cabuyao Children’s Center (CCC) will serve as a nook of children to read stories, play developmental toys and experience fun learning. But, in reality, we find it difficult to encourage children and parents to come over to this Reading Room to access and read the good reading materials available.

Consistent with this vision, we develop this Reading Habit Project (Start Reading at an Early Age) in order to:

1. Provide the underprivileged children access to classical and contemporary books and other developmental forms of learning by reaching out to them in their schools;
2. Develop interest, habit, and love of reading among children for reasons and importance stated above;
3. Promote the Reading Room and the Cabuyao Children’s Center as a learning and educational facility for underprivileged children even to non-students of the Foundation’s Angels in Heaven School.

III.            TARGET BENEFICIARIES

 

ü  At the initial stages of the project, our first target beneficiaries are the students from the Public Elementary Schools and Barangay Day Care Centers in Cabuyao ages 5-8 years old (kindergarten to Grade 1 pupils).

ü  The long-term objective of this Reading Room and this Reading Habit Project is to open the Cabuyao Children’s Center as a nook of learning for all children of Cabuyao especially the underprivileged.

IV.            IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURE:
A.     SCHEDULE and VENUE

The Reading Habit Project will be implemented MWF from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM taking up the timeslot of Drop-Everything-And-Read period. The venue of the project will be the Cabuyao Central Elementary School targeting children ages 6-8 years old (Grade 1 pupils).

B.     THE LEARNING CYCLE

5 Minutes : Assembly Time

: Opening Action Song (Welcome Song)

: Brief Orientation regarding the Reading Habit Project (emphasizing its importance)

: Flow of Activities and House Rules

: Introduction of Reading Facilitators

30 Minutes : Story Telling Session

5 Minutes : Discussion and Integration

20 Minutes : Fun Learning

–        Vocabulary Retention (5 Words Familiarization)

–        Read-A-Thon Contest

–        Reading Comprehension (targeting Moral of the Story)

C.     READING FACILITATORS

ü  Main Reading Facilitators:  4^th Year College Students from Pamantasan ng Cabuyao –

College of Education under their Student-Teacher Practicum.

:  As incentive, they will be receiving a Certificate of Participation from Limcaoco Foundation, Inc. which can be credited as official number of hours of their Practicum.

ü  Co-Facilitators                                                      :                  Teacher/s of participating Public School and/or Day Care Center

ü  Support Group                                                      :                  Any group who would want to make this Reading Habit Project as

a form of their organization’s or company’s Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) program.

D.     OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT

 

ü  Book Donation (we happily accept more books or any school items that can be used by underprivileged children)

ü  Second-hand developmental toys (we plan to put up playground and learning rooms at the Children’s Center)

ü  Snack pledge (even of minimal amount for candy shower or tetra-packed juice that will make school visit memorable)

Advertisement